Tuesday 19 April 2011

Renewable U-turn causing anger

A director of a UK renewable energy company has criticised the Coalition for pursuing an "anti-renewables agenda."

After the Government's review of the Feed-in Tariff, solar projects of over 50kWh now receive 19p/kWh instead of 39p/kWh.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, David Hunt, Director of Eco Environments, said: "Unless the UK approach on solar is reconsidered, the sector could be sent into another tailspin in just 18 months. Allocated support is likely to run out for solar projects of any size, as a result of recasting the feed-in tariff as a capped mechanism in the Spending Review."

Mr Hunt added: "We have been shocked by these proposals which will once again leave the UK's solar industry lagging far behind other countries. The proposals will effectively sacrifice the UK's flourishing solar industry and have already frozen investment in projects over 50kWp."

Ministers feared support for the scheme would eat into the budget, leading to a reduction in the incentives available to smaller-scale energy systems.

Mr Hunt said the renewable industry was tired of being pushed and pulled: "There is widespread frustration that your Government does not understand this technology or its potential. Solar is crucial to a genuinely sustainable and competitive energy system in the UK. It could easily meet a third of the UK's electricity needs."