Are you ready for feed-in-tariff cuts for solar?

A must-read for all solar panel users – it looks set to be an eventful few months for the solar energy industry in the lead up to the government’s January cuts.

Solar energy experts are predicting that the UK will see a dramatic rise in the demand for solar panels in the four months leading up to the government’s proposed cuts in January, which could see feed-in-tariffs for solar electricity “fall off a cliff” by dropping almost 90% from 12.9p/kW to 1.63p k/W.

Here’s what the solar energy experts have had to say:-

Mike Landy, Head of Policy for the Solar Trade Association

Mike fears the “sudden cut, combined with the threat of scheme closure, is a particularly bad idea.” His view is that the proposed cuts will “create a huge boom and bust that is not only very damaging to solar businesses and jobs, but does nothing to help budget constraints” and continued to describe the cuts as “self-defeating”.

Stuart Pocock, Head of UK Solar

Stuart shares Mike Landy’s concerns. He said: “Our biggest fear is quality. If you’re trying to cram as many jobs into a short period of time as possible, there is a risk that the quality of installation might not be as good as it should be. The industry is of a limited size and it only has a certain capacity to do so much, so I expect a lot of people might end up disappointed and not get their installs done.”

Leonie Green, Head of External Affairs at the Solar Trade Association

Leonie spoke out publicly about the anxiety created by the proposed cuts that have cast a shadow over the long-term future of Britain’s solar industry, despite the level of support the UK public has afforded solar schemes. She said: “The government should back that momentum, not push the industry over a cliff when it is so near to being able to repay public investment through lower and more stable bills in future”.

So what does this all mean for the future of solar panels?

It’s clear that, while echoing the fears of one another, many solar energy experts feel the resultant boom will put increased strain on the solar installation industry.  As a result, this strain could affect the consumer via poor quality fittings and many panels remaining uninstalled due to increasingly limited capacity.

There are also concerns that the cuts will lead to a loss of thousands of jobs. At present, more than 30,000 people are employed in the solar sector, 2,900 of whom are involved in the installation of domestic solar panels.

Stuart Pocock agrees the cuts will have a massive impact on installation companies. He said: “With the cuts proposed, we could end up losing quite a large chunk of our industry because the cuts are a lot more than we initially predicted. What was at one point looking like a very attractive investment, is now looking like something a lot less attractive for homeowners”.

Do you work within the solar energy industry or have solar panels installed on your home?

We’d love to hear your thoughts and concerns surrounding the proposed cuts and why you do / do not use solar panels.

For more information on how cuts to the feed-in-tariff for solar energy may impact on your business, contact us o 01772 258321.