Solar & EV Charging
Feed-in tariff changes: What’s next for PV installers?
In a change met by concern and criticism from renewables groups, last month the Government scrapped its controversial solar feed-in tariff – leaving small-scale renewables producers out of pocket and creating challenges for solar PV installers.
B
ut solar testing expert Seaward believes it has a solution for those who have lost out as a result of the changes – and is calling on businesses to take the opportunity to diversify.
What is the solar feed-in tariff? Designed to encourage uptake of renewable and low-carbon electricity generation technologies, the UK’s feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme allowed small- scale renewables producers such as households and businesses to sell excess power.
Since its launch in 2011, the FiT scheme is thought to have enabled 800,000 households and 28,000 businesses across the UK to generate their own renewable power. On 18 December 2018, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced it would be scrapping the scheme.
What does this mean for the industry? Critics of the changes say they will come as a blow to those who have already paid out for solar panels and will now be giving their excess energy back to the grid for free. And the renewables sector argues the move will cost jobs, slow down
ewnews.co.uk
Michael Middlemast, Category Manager at Seaward
the UK’s transition to greener energy and make it harder for it to hit climate targets. But the Government says the scheme will be replaced with a new system
better suited to the changing energy landscape – although it has yet to announce any details of the new policy. Seaward, a leading manufacturer of solar testing and measurement equipment says diversification is the solution for businesses looking to replace their lost income.
Diversify for a new income stream Moving into other areas could help small businesses with experience in solar PV arrays. Michael Middlemast, Category Manager at Seaward, explained: “Working in the solar industry has its highs and lows – and we’re often hamstrung by tariffs and unreliable subsidies. “Subsidies such as the feed-in tariff caused a huge gold rush for solar in
the early 2010s when there was a massive spike in uptake. “It’s inevitable that businesses will lose out as a result of the lost income –
so it’s time to start thinking about what we can do to keep crews working when there is a lull in installation rates.
●Continued over April 2019 electrical wholesaler | 27
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