Fit rate slashes

[trevor79]

Over the week end I heard a leak, I was told that the FIT review was going to address the 'Rent a Roof' schemes.

This is good news for householders, I also expect the up to 4kwh tariffs to be reduces to reflect the current cost of installed systems.
I do hope that rates for private individuals hold up till the 31/03/12 but I am not holding my breath on that.
The latest data indicates an rate of growth that has smashed the Government / Treasury budget.

 

[calhalla]

Even if climate change is not a problem (which I think it is and not due to warming as much as unpredictable weather causing crop failures) then what about Peak Oil (the end of cheap oil)?
This is fact and the full effects will be felt a lot sooner. It is more then likely that we are seeing some of the effects right now with the banking crisis of 2008 and now the Eurozone crisis.

 

[Maff]

I think that the small subsidy paid by lower income households is just a drop in the ocean when compared to the amount of profit that foriegn owned energy companies make. Its a bit like the USA blaming all of the global pollution problems on Luxembourg. I agree with the previous post that we are mid way between two ice ages (cold periods) so therefore in a warm period.
No doubt I am about to be told my beleifs are a load of old pony. but it takes more than Al Gore to scare me

 

[saveloy]

Why should any of us have to? Because it is a problem that we need to solve and it isn't just going to go away.

I wholeheartedly agree that we all need to act to avert a potential energy crisis.
However my arguement is, why should all of us have to subsidise a free solar PV system, for a few privelleged people, through higher energy bills? If we are all paying for it, then we should all benefit.

If we are still as reliant on fossil fuels in 20 years time then the low income families are going to have more to worry about than subsidising FITs.

You are not wrong. If only for the reason that they will have payed for the privelleged few to get a free solar Pv system, to provide free energy, whilst being left high and dry with no energy provision for themselves!! Not very fair in my book.

 

[mattmoo1974]

They cant be seen to put money before mother earth, it will drop but by a small amount is my guess..
They ve set the rate and its been flooded, Im sure 1p on a litre of fuel will more then cover that!!
You never know it mite just be a marketing stunt by the goverment , Every 1s going to jump on the bang wagon now to keep the rate..
Seems to me its a big outlay for a slow return on your cash..

 

[SolarCity]

You are not wrong. If only for the reason that they will have payed for the privelleged few to get a free solar Pv system, to provide free energy, whilst being left high and dry with no energy provision for themselves!! Not very fair in my book.

Fair enough. I suppose the burden is on you to suggest a better system then.

 

[MorganPVI]

This system is pretty fair, if you can afford a house and have a mortage then it's easy enough and profitable to fit solar panels - you may have to remortage but it can be done quite easily if your really willing. It seems fairer to the general public, at least a larger proportion are in a postion to have a renwables installation. Unlike the wind turbines. The majority of money goes to wind farms - installed, operated and profited by foreigners on land owned by rich farmers.

Sadly if there is no money in it then people will not invest, simple economics due to the free market. Blame Capitalism.

 

[alarm man]

Why should any of us have to? Because it is a problem that we need to solve and it isn't just going to go away.

Does global warming exist? Of course. It is about as much open to debate that the Earth orbits the Sun or that the moon orbits the Earth. Are we contributing to it? I would say that the evidence seems to suggest that we are. My stance is that we should act as if we are the cause of it. We don't have another planet where we can pop off to if we get it wrong here.

We need to rely more and more on green energy, both for environmental reasons and economical. India and China have thrown a spanner into the energy works and the days of cheap energy are over. If we are still as reliant on fossil fuels in 20 years time then the low income families are going to have more to worry about than subsidising FITs.

we have over 300yrs worth of coal under our land,we are reliant on fossil fuel, that stuff will be dug up before long,solar has its use but it wont be the main source not for long time yet

 

[saveloy]

Fair enough. I suppose the burden is on you to suggest a better system then.

Nuclear. And/or as Alarm man suggests coal

 

[alarm man]

This system is pretty fair, if you can afford a house and have a mortage then it's easy enough and profitable to fit solar panels

a bit naive morgan,some people are struggling to pay their mortgage these days what with cuts etc im sure the last thing they are thinking about is going green,i dont think the return is enough,if i could pay its cost in 25 months instead of 25 yrs id think about getting it done..

 

[saveloy]

This system is pretty fair, if you can afford a house and have a mortage then it's easy enough and profitable to fit solar panels - you may have to remortage but it can be done quite easily if your really willing.

What about people who rent? They still have to pay a bit on top to subsidise PV.
As for remortgaging. Well that is no longer viable for most homeowners. Banks are not lending anymore. I would argue that most homeowners are just about managing to pay bills due to rising inflation. One of the biggest culprits being energy companies hiking prices.

It seems fairer to the general public, at least a larger proportion are in a postion to have a renwables installation.

Really? How many have £12,000+ lying around in a bank account doing nothing.

Unlike the wind turbines. The majority of money goes to wind farms - installed, operated and profited by foreigners on land owned by rich farmers. , Sadly if there is no money in it then people will not invest simple economics due to the free market. Blame Capitalism.

Ain't that the truth. Without FITs no one would bother with Solar Pv because it just won't return on investment. Bit of a joke really. People are only Green if they can earn out of it.

 

[The Solar King]

In terms of ROCs and all renewable subsidies FITS hardly even shows as a blip on the Ofgen model. What does Germany know that we don't? Why do they predict 20% energy contribution from solar. Is the fact that day-time energy costs to industry in Germany have fallen because of solar making them more competitive of no consequence? Is the fact we are going to be screwed on the supply of Gas via the Norwegian pipeline because Germany and other countries have agreed long term contracts at higher prices than the UK is prepared to pay of any importance? The lack of investment in nuclear means it will be 2025 at the earliest before anything new comes on stream. The UK cannot meet its carbon reduction targets by burning coal. The number of coal fired stations left is reducing in the dash for gas. Reinvestment faces the same issues as nuclear. The government are so confident in carbon capture technology that they have just cancelled a £1bn project at the largest coal fired power station in the UK.

Transportation will go electric, meaning greater demand.

When the lights go out, remember it could have been avoided by an integrated renewable energy strategy, that includes solar as a key part part of it. Like it not, solar is, and will be a key part of the future. The government know this, so don't be too gloomy.

 

[alarm man]

coal is king,its as good now as it was 1000 yrs ago,i dont know alot about solar panels,but the return rate is over 25yr,are these panels going to last 10yrs nevermind 25-30 yrs,whats the cost of replacement,are they covered for lifetime replacement,are many of these solar companies going to be around in 25 yrs,all questions i would need answered before investing.

 

[northernsun]

Is it a fair system? It could well be argued not. George Monbiot (the green campaigner and Guardian journalist) has a great deal to say on the matter and makes a strong case against the FIT. I do have a bit of a dilema regarding the FIT and how it is financed and if I was making the decision to enter the game now I would be thinking hard about it. I got into this years ago though, and back then I really believed in renewables (I was a a bit of a hippy sparky) I still believe in what I am doing, despite being much, much more cynical about the whole affair. By the same token I still believe in man-made global warming, despite the fact that it has been hijacked and in lots of cases turned into naked profiteering.

If the FIT is slashed I will still be doing what I am doing- because it is what I have chosen to do. (just not as much of it)
I'll still think it a crying shame though. It is worth remembering that the FIT is working. Depsite the cretinous salesmen, cowboys and conmen, big and small it seems to me that it is doing what was anticipated- systems are getting cheaper and hopefully will become something that really is affordable to the majority. I could list many, many things that are wrong with whats going on, but I could probably do the same for any other industry. In fact I think I get so peed off about things because I expected thngs to be different (I'm still a bit naive I suppose).
I can think of so many things that are a worse way for us, the public, to spend money- subsidies to homeowners to encourage the uptake of solar and other renewables, depsite my misgivings, wouldnt even make my top one hundred.
Foreign adventures, PPFI, subsidies to to the landed gentry, corruption right across the board with lobbyists and vested interests with their noses in the trough and , its almost a cliche to mention it- the banks. There are many things wrong with the renewables market and solar PV specifically but unfortunately that is how the system works, I wish it were different because I would probably enjoy it more and fit in a bit better.
I may prefer it to have been different (I cant really say how, given how our society works) but its not and I really hope that we get to at least see whether the promising signs lead to a self sustaining industry and not see the thing stopped dead in its tracks.

Nuclear power as a fairer alternative? I'm still not convinced on nuclear, but thats a whole other thread, but- does anyone really see that one going down without it costing the public at least as much as the feed in tariff? Can't see it myself.

 

[alarm man]

so would solar pay for its self without fit