Don't forget the client !!!

malcolmsanford · Aug 25, 2011

How can you base a countries energy industry on vagaries, what do you do in winter months if you rely on PV, what do you do when the wind don't blow, I can say with complete confidence that in my lifetime if renewable energy makes 10% of the countries energy resource I' would be amazed.

As TonyL says it is a political balm to show to the world that we in the UK are "green" and are we not wonderful. I have no problems with putting panels on a roof and if that person is going to get free electricity then great good for him, but should they be earning money out of it that is subsidized by others.

Yes not every bill payer is struggling to pay their bills but they are many thousands that are, and it is those thousands that are putting money in someone's pocket, and can not afford to. I wonder how many of us if someone came to our door and said we are going to take 2 pounds every month from your bank account to subsidize PV installations, which means those that can afford 10-12K to install will earn money out of it, I reckon the outcry would put the recent riots in the shade.

MorganPVI · Aug 25, 2011

Malcom, how much do we pay in subs for Nuclear?? Coal??? Gas?? Oil?? I'd wager that we've subis them now and historically far more than £2 a month. I give £2 a month to the RNLI and I live as far from the sea as possible in the UK, I suspect the will is there for PV (somewhere!!)

I think your view is a bit short term, we need to encourage the industry as a whole so we can one day have highly efficent panels on every roof (covering parastic load if nothing else) the only way to do this is to subsidize a flegling industry. The wind blows and the sun shines at a steady rate over a year, just because it's incovientent timing does not mean we should ignore it.

malcolmsanford · Aug 25, 2011

Well as a former Pitman I know that coal was never subsidized as much as people think, that is why they were closed, and even profitable ones!!

Morgan you give that voluntarily to the RNLI and good for you, I give to the NSPCC and several other charities, but I'm talking about a subsidy that is not voluntarily, that is not to a charity but to people that can already afford to fit an expensive piece of kit on their roof and then make a profit from it, I'm all for the commercialism, but how can you square off making a profit from a subsidy, it does not sit well for me personally.

If you want to invest 10-12k then of course you should expect a return, but should that return be in the form of a subsidy from other people.