Solar energy and the Feed-In Tariff - your opinions
- Thread starter Thomas L
- Start date
Soldato
As some of the posters above have alluded to, it seems like it rewards the well off and penalises the poor. I can see why the government wants to scrap it.
Soldato
Regardless, the current rate is four times the price charged by the electricity companies to supply. How much do we pay France to top up energy during peak periods? Do we buy more from France in Summer or Winter. If Winter, how will a solar feed in network really help offset this?
What's the current state of play regarding the price they'll be paying per unit?
Is it all up in the air the moment? ie: Someone having an installation at the moment may or may not get the higher unit price!?
And I'm right in saying, basically it's everyone who hasn't got these panels who then have to pay for it!?
Really? What is the payback period. Do you have details of the value of FIT's over the next 10 years?
That was always my concern - ie: If the government reduced the FIT down drastically. Common sense surely says it's way to high at the moment!? I mean, we don't even know what it is at the moment do we (for new installs)?
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That was always my concern - ie: If the government reduced the FIT down drastically. Common sense surely says it's way to high at the moment!? I mean, we don't even know what it is at the moment do we?
Indeed. When people sign up to this are they on a committed rate for a few years? If not, it would be a rather silly investment.
Associate
solar pv
With the good weather we are producing as much as we are using this month and that should only get better in the summer. The aim is to have parity over the year saving the £60 a month we were paying for electricity before .
With the good weather we are producing as much as we are using this month and that should only get better in the summer. The aim is to have parity over the year saving the £60 a month we were paying for electricity before .
But are you guaranteed a rate on the FIT for the foreseeable future?
I paid £22k for 2 3.84Kw systems. One is on a south facing roof and the other is south east. I am locked into the 25 year FIT tariff that pays 43.3p per unit for the FIT and 3.1p per unit for generation. This goes up every year with inflation on the 1st April. On Sunday it goes up by 4.8%. Over the 2 systems I should generate approx £4k in revenue plus electricity bill savings over this next 12 months. Paypack period should be 5-6 years then 20 years of profit. Was a no brainer deal for me as we have no intention of moving and the other property is rented out.
Yes, 25 years.
Nice. As long as you own the property for long enough, I guess it's a no brainer, then.
Indeed... And as far as I understand the rest of the users pay for this 'bonus'
So basically the richer individuals make money at the expense of the poorer ones with the scheme.
Indeed... And as far as I understand the rest of the users pay for this 'bonus'
Oh noes what ever will they do. It's the way of the world. How about all the other thousands of subsidie schemes. Are they all evil?
What about the benefits of such subsidies, launch and improving a market that is worth hundreads of billions and helping the uk to secure a slice of the pie. Then we have other things like energy security and the rest.
No, my point is, it seems strange that in 20yrs time electricity users will still be paying for this 'subsidie'? A subsidie that more than paid the individuals involved back 15 years before!?
I'm all for introducing the technology into the country, but:-
1) The FIT seems hugely unrealistic, and you can see why the government is drastically trying to make it more realistic by basically halving it. Infact it seems so unrealistic I can even imagine it being reneged on in the future? ie: Users might wonder why they are paying even higher electrity prices so other users can return a profit year after year...
2) There's still the huge unanswered question of how beneficial this technology even is here in the UK. Where do we get our energy from the other 75% of the time the solar panels are not contributing? So maybe this 'subsidie' would be better aimed elsewhere?
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Why is it odd? You know what the aim of subsidies are? And that there are many thousands of subsidies available in many areas.
They're re-adjusting it as the price of panels has significantly fallen since the scheme started.
It's gone from 12-13k for a 3.68pKW system to tesco offering it for £8.5k
As for point two, well you need to understand they are upgrading the grid and wanting to put national grid storage in, of which there are several options on the horizon. The Grid is being upgraded by 3bn a year. We are going to use many energy sources in the future, just as we do now.
They're re-adjusting it as the price of panels has significantly fallen since the scheme started.
It's gone from 12-13k for a 3.68pKW system to tesco offering it for £8.5k
As for point two, well you need to understand they are upgrading the grid and wanting to put national grid storage in, of which there are several options on the horizon. The Grid is being upgraded by 3bn a year. We are going to use many energy sources in the future, just as we do now.
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