August 1st deadline ?????

[moggy1968]

I said when I first came into this in 2010 that you probably had 2 years to make some money, by then there would be too many installers chasing a diminishing amount of business.. Between them the likes of NICEIC and Professional electrician have rather bought it all forward, then the Government did the final push.

I don't agree Gavin, I think the cut was too much too suddenly. A drop to 30p some time before would have been sufficient. I think the market is underpricing itself at the moment, and quality is suffering.

 

[Gavin A]

I maybe phrased that wrong.

I don't think a FIT rate of 21p ought to be particularly problematic if the demand was still there so we could actually be working relatively solidly.

I fully agree that a 50% cut in one go is always going to be problematic, and that DECC should have cut the rate in April 2011 instead of increasing it, or at the latest cut it in the summer of 2011, and then cut it again, maybe even in december, or April.

This was our response to DECC's consultation in spring of 2011 on the above 50kW cuts, with exactly the reasoning that if they didn't then we'd certainly end up with a boom and bust situation.

I'm unsure what STA or any other trade bodies position was back then, but that was the chance for the industry to have avoided the last 12 months of roller coastering IMO.

None of this should take away from DECC's ultimate responsibility for this situation, they've been utterly incompetent throughout, but I don't think any of our trade bodies have covered themselves in glory either.

Cutting again at this point with a further 20% cut though is just kicking the industry while it's struggling to get back up from a pummelling.

 

[SolarCity]

It's not the existing cut that's the problem, it's the way it was done and all the negative publicity around it that's turned it into a situation that's proving hard to survive. I actually do think that our trade bodies were guilty of talking the industry down over the last 6 months, maybe with good intentions, but it's really backfired now (not that this should let DECC off the hook as the prime movers in this shambles).

I don't see it that way. The trade bodies were reacting to the ludicrous behaviour of the DECC and their actions were then proven to be illegal. If DECC played ball from the start then this need not have happened. Regardless of the situation we are in, DECC now know that the trade bodies WILL take action if they don't play by the rules. I think that the industry, in the long run, will be better off because of it.

 

[finchy]

I agree with most said but moggy, professionalism are what the industry needs. We're NICEIC electrician, and very glad to be as we would be out of business if we were just solar PV. The pop up companies and double glazing salesmen type companies and rent a roof they are the baddies!

 

[The Solar King]

This was our response to DECC's consultation in spring of 2011 on the above 50kW cuts, with exactly the reasoning that if they didn't then we'd certainly end up with a boom and bust situation.

I'm unsure what STA or any other trade bodies position was back then, but that was the chance for the industry to have avoided the last 12 months of roller coastering IMO.

STA warned DECC this time last year of the dangers of overheating and that the domestic tariff was too high. A proportionate cut had been suggested in part to protect the above 50kW. This sensible approach may have happened if we had not been sunk by another party mis-informing a member of the House of Lords and so scuppering an amendment. The rest as they say is history.

 

[Somecamel]

Anyone else hearing DECC are going to make an announcement today about this?

 

[Ian-LS]

Anyone else hearing DECC are going to make an announcement today about this?

Where did you hear that? Greg Barkers twitter by any chance? :21:

 

[SRE]

No, where you heard that??

 

[Somecamel]

Twitter

Not GB- Emma Hughes-solar power portal

 

[moggy1968]

I agree with most said but moggy, professionalism are what the industry needs. We're NICEIC electrician, and very glad to be as we would be out of business if we were just solar PV. The pop up companies and double glazing salesmen type companies and rent a roof they are the baddies!

When I mentioned NICEIC and Professional electrician I was refering to the way they totally oversold it to the industry leading to a mass influx of people training in solar PV as the Great New God, but without going into any of the downside (how much it would cost, the paperwork requirements etc etc). Every issue of PE was banging on about PV and how great it was.

But maybe I'm just bitter and twisted because I was already in it, realised the potential for myself and did the training when there was very little help available and it was a real struggle.

 

[SRE]

Aaah saw that just assumed that it was more of a comment than an expectation, I wish they'd just get on with it!

 

[SolarCity]

When I mentioned NICEIC and Professional electrician I was refering to the way they totally oversold it to the industry leading to a mass influx of people training in solar PV as the Great New God, but without going into any of the downside (how much it would cost, the paperwork requirements etc etc). Every issue of PE was banging on about PV and how great it was.

Strongly agree. And they continue to do so.

And then when they went on to provide woefully inadequate training.

 

[Ian-LS]

Doesn't sounds like there will be an announcement yet as DECC are meant to be meeting STA on 28th May and some others this week. I'd be suprised if they announce anything this week to be honest

 

[SRE]

But maybe I'm just bitter and twisted because I was already in it, realised the potential for myself and did the training when there was very little help available and it was a real struggle.

Us too and we learned most from researching stuff not from the training. less than 12 months after our training we were being offered the same training at a fraction of the price! At least we got our money back - I can't see how anyone new can even break even at the minute.

 

[SRE]

Doesn't sounds like there will be an announcement yet as DECC are meant to be meeting STA on 28th May and some others this week. I'd be suprised if they announce anything this week to be honest

Maybe we will get lucky with an October change - I hope so we need that to see us through the winter.