WILL GOVERNMENT RECOGNISE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOLAR PV IN THE UK?


Howard Johns Md Of Southern Solar And Chairman Of The Solar Trade Association


Solar PV has the power to revolutionise the way we produce energy in the UK, providing secure, affordable green electricity and cutting our carbon emissions. But changes to Government policy are threatening the future of solar PV and with it our energy security.


Solar is the world’s fastest growing energy technology and has the potential to generate around a third of the UK’s electricity needs with no emissions – and that’s if we just put it on the nations south facing roofs. Globally, governments are encouraging their domestic solar industries to build capacity and create renewable electricity – as people around the world realise that electricity from solar PV will become the cheapest source of energy.


Last year, more solar PV capacity was installed across Europe than any other renewable technology. In 2010, Germany installed more than double the amount of solar that the UK plans to install by 2020. German politicians estimate that solar will meet over 50% of daytime electricity needs by 2020. More than 2.5 million people now use solar PV to generate electricity, while the German Environment Minister says that by 2013 solar PV will become cheaper than energy generated from other sources, including nuclear and fossil fuels.


Despite a proven track record for solar PV in other markets, Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has proposed drastic reductions to the financial incentive scheme – the Feed in Tariff - that is vital to the development of a sustainable solar industry in the UK. The Government is rejecting the chance to build the UK’s green economy and create many new jobs.


If the UK invests in a solar future now, we can bring down costs faster, and encourage enterprise and manufacturing here in the UK. Investment now will also enable us to build the installation capacity and supply chains required to deliver quality solar power stations on a wide range of scales. If we wait for the costs to fall, it will take longer to reach the time when no subsidy is needed and the delayed investment will result in the UK losing major manufacturing, tax revenue, export, employment and market-share opportunities in this vital and vast new global industry. Seventy percent of the jobs involved in solar PV cannot be exported as they are involved with delivery of the projects.


But instead of supporting solar, DECC has announced radical cuts in the Feed in Tariffs for projects larger than 50kW, in its “Fast Track Review” published in March, implemented from 1st August 2011. The Government plans to support installing PV only on a relatively small number of households, with very limited opportunities for community or public sector solar and no commercial sector or ground-mounted PV schemes. The Budget further proposed to reduce the tax benefits for community renewables schemes.


|76| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE


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