REGIONAL I UNITED KINGDOM
investor confusion and a lack of clear guidance to a burgeoning industry. I think it very unlikely that the FiT review outcome will be as proposed and expect to see changes announced shortly. Especially in the time scale. The government issues are not confined to solar and are only a part of a bigger dilemma facing governments required to make long term decisions. Despite the bad process the result still allows for decent return on investment for canny consumers. Another area I expect to change is the defining of socially responsible projects as the proposed changes will wipe out companies who have based their business model around providing free panels to consumers. Many have indebted themselves based on unlikely assumptions and are paying that capitalist price.
This is another area the industry can provide real data to ensure a better deal is reached as currently the suggestion is only greed is motivating such projects. It is a chance for the government to win back some positive feedback from both industry and the community. The UK industry needs to decide how it is representing itself. With such division within the industry it is too easy for competing industries to belittle solar or move ahead as if it did not exist. A good example occurred on the BBC Panorama programme which claimed to be asking where the real costs of renewable energy were coming from and where it was heading. The show became a poster event for off shore wind projects with solar barely mentioned in one sentence. The government’s current handling of subsidy change may be a fiasco but it is only one fiasco facing the industry, both within
and without. Energy supply is a long term issue facing the country and the world at large and requires long term strategies combined with clear short term goals. Battling the lobbying power of large energy companies but the solar industry has some simple and positive messages it has failed to capitalise on. Telling governments want you want to happen in a cacophony of voices is unlikely to achieve a great deal. Convincing the voting public it is in their best interests is where the industry needs to move towards. Mr and Mrs Consumer need to be demanding cheaper and renewable energy sources. They are the ones that will determine the future of energy in the UK. It is up to the industry to ensure they have reason to get excited to ensure a long term sustainable industry.
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www.solar-pv-management.com I Issue X 2011
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