Solar energy ain't chicken feed

H&V News reported how a Herefordshire Chicken Farmer had just switched on the UK's largest privately owned photovoltaic solar panel installation in the UK, made up of 1,600 solar panels.

However, it notes that due to the planned subsidy cuts for large scale renewable installations (don't worry homeowners, your planned domestic solar installations are safe for now), it could be the last such installation of its kind.

Read more at H&V by clicking here.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Solar subsidy cuts - protecting homeowners

Farmers, landowners, environmentalists and the solar industry themselves have all been condemning the recently announced solar subsidy cuts for larger scale installations.

What's been described as a "ill judged slash and burn decision" will, no doubt, have serious consequences for those land owners and social projects that were so appealing to investors only a few weeks ago.

With many schemes on hold now and those already started, it's an anxious time for many parties, whilst the details are awaited.

One group who hasn't been complaining is homeowners themselves.

A typical domestic home installation has nothing to fear (at present) from subsidy cuts. Indeed, the main thrust behind the Governments decision was to protect the 'pot of money' that's been set aside to pay out on tariff claims by homeowners.

It may be the case that the Government see's individual homes reducing the carbon emissions by utilising their own renewable energy as a vital part of combating what is an ageing housing stock, and all the 'un-green' problems associated with heating and powering those homes.

It's not enough to wag a finger at so-called 'greedy investors' who were looking to make a big return on their investment at the expense of the Government money - part of the carbon reducing mix has got to be the large and not so large scale production of renewable energy.

Social schemes which would have seen whole streets and areas benefit from renewable energy, not to mention setting up solar farms on land that can be used for little else are still vital and the investment (or inducement to invest) has got to come from somewhere.

The question for many now is where exactly?

photo credit: purpleslog

Spain plans solar subsidy cuts

Worrying because something similar could easily happen to the UK's feed-in tariff system (sometime in the future), was this report in the Wall Street Journal about Spain planning major cuts to its own solar energy subsidies.

Subsidies could be cut by as much as 30%, which one private equity firm head described as "a breach of trust".

Spain's had solar subsidies far longer than the UK - subsidies which have attracted large scale investment on the strength of the subsidies previously agreed and being paid.

However, like Germany, the solar subsidies have been so over-subscribed that the money to pay for the subsidies is running out faster than expected.

Spain now has 3,200 megawatts of solar capacity - more than six times what the Spanish government expected to have by 2010. Last year alone, it handed out 2.6 billion euros in subsidies.

What's got investors angered the most is that Spain agreed new subsidies on new wind and solar thermal projects, but is planning cuts for existing as well as new solar photovoltaic installations.

Read the Wall Street Journal's full report here.

photo credit: ciron810

Italy's plans for reducing solar subsidies.

Spotted over on Renewable Energy Focus was this article about how Italy intends to reduce its levels of solar subsidy.

What's interesting is that rather than a broad sweeping cut across all generators, they've taken a much more subtle approach by making moderate reductions per system, so that overall, whilst the incentives are reduced, there is still some incentive left for most generators.

One of the key factors is the capping of capacity coupled with a simplification of the various models for generation into two main types - rooftop systems and other systems (which covers all systems not installed on an actual building).

There's lots of rumours currently abound regarding the likelihood of the UK Government making it's own cuts to the established tariff system but as the Italians have shown, it's still possible to offer enough incentive to promote a more gradual uptake of solar energy, rather than struggle to fund the mad 'gold rush' like uptake as we're currently witnessing now.

Read the full article at Renewable Energy Focus here.

photo credit: bardsmith