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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Fiscal deficit forces Spain to slash renewable energy subsidies
Fiscal deficit forces Spain to slash renewable energy subsidies
In March 2007, European Union members agreed that 20% of energy needs will be sourced from renewable energy by 2020. Many EU governments reacted by pouring billions of euros in subsidies into their wind- and solar-energy industries. Yet in Spain, at least, the financial crisis that began in 2008 has exposed serious shortcomings in renewable-energy support policies, giving ammunition to critics who argue that both the wind and solar power sectors would not be viable without government subsidies.
Spain subsidizes renewable energy using ‘feed-in tariffs’, a subsidy mechanism whereby utility companies are legally obliged to purchase the available renewable energy at special above-market rates before they can purchase energy at market prices. Such policies typically guarantee operators of renewable-energy plants above-market rates for 10 or more years in order to increase investor confidence. According to the IEA, it is also good practice for a feed-in tariff to gradually offer lower rates year-on-year for new investments, taking into account cost reductions as technologies mature.
Currently, wind power operators in Spain can choose to sell their energy at either a feed-in tariff rate of €77 (US$ 98 ) per megawatt-hour (MWh) or the market price plus a premium of €30 (US$ 38) per MWh, up to a maximum of €90 (US$ 114) per MWh. The payments are guaranteed for the entire lifetime of the system, although tariffs are reduced a little after the first 20 years of operation. There is no pre-set schedule lowering tariffs for new investments as the technology matures.
Initially, solar power producers could sell their energy at a feed-in tariff rate set at €440 (US$ 565) per MWh, although after the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 this was lowered for any new projects to €259 (US$ 329) per MWh. Payments are again guaranteed for the lifetime of the systems, with slight reductions to the tariffs being made after a longer period than wind, 25 years. According to the IEA, feed-in tariffs are adjusted every quarter for new systems.
By comparison, the market price for electricity, which is set by the cost of energy sources such as natural gas, has been under €45 (US$ 57) per MWh for the last couple of years. This makes Spain one of the biggest renewable-energy subsidizers on the continent.
The feed-in tariffs have been very effective at boosting capacity in Spain, transforming the country into a world leader in wind and solar electricity production in just a few short years. In 2008 Spain accounted for half of the world’s new solar energy installations by wattage. Today it boasts the world’s largest renewable energy company, Valencia-based Iberdrola Renovables, which operates wind farms throughout Europe and the Americas. The heavy investment has also put it on track to meet the EU’s 20% renewable energy target by 2020. In fact, according to figures published by El País, Spain was already producing 20% of its electricity through wind and solar power in 2009.
But the crisis and subsequent European sovereign-debt-default scare has recently forced the government in Madrid to drastically cut spending by, among other things, reviewing its significant expenditure on renewable energy. In 2009 alone the country had spent an estimated €3.2 billion (US$ 4.1 billion) subsidizing solar and wind power.
The strain on government revenue is in part due to the way Spain has designed its feed-in tariff system. Usually, this type of subsidy is paid for by utilities charging more for the electricity they sell to consumers, to cover the cost of buying renewable energy at above-market prices. Therefore no money is actually paid out of government revenues: consumers bear the cost directly by paying higher electricity bills. In Spain, however, the price of electricity has been kept artificially low since 2000. The burden has been shouldered by utilities, which have been operating at a loss on the basis of a government guarantee to eventually pay them back. The sum of this so-called ‘tariff deficit’ has accumulated to over €16 billion (US$ 20 billion) since 2000. For comparison, Spain’s deficit in 2009 was around €90 billion (US$ 116 billion) in 2009 and its accumulated debt around €508 billion (US$ 653 billion).
Due to this growing cost and the need to cut spending, Spain’s ruling Socialist Worker’s Party launched negotiations with the wind- and solar-power sectors earlier this year over cuts to feed-in tariffs. In July, the government managed to reach an agreement with the wind-power sector under which it will cut the top-up rate to wind energy producers by 35% until 2013, a move that could save the country as much as €1.3 billion (US$ 1.6 billion), according to Spanish daily El Mundo.
It has been more difficult to reach an agreement with the solar power sector, which is much more heavily subsidized due to its higher feed-in tariff rate. In 2009, the solar power industry received over €2.6 billion (US$ 3.3 billion) though it supplied only 2% of Spain’s electricity, while wind received €600 million (US$ 764 million) for supplying 18% of the country's electricity.
Having already cut tariffs for new projects in 2008, the Spanish government announced in May of this year that it would again be reviewing subsidies to the solar-power industry, launching rumors that retroactive cuts were being considered, which sent shockwaves through the sector and froze new investment.
After failing to reach an agreement, on 31 July the government announced plans for a further 45% cut in the feed-in tariff for new ground solar installations, the plant-type which currently makes up the majority of solar capacity in Spain. The government is also considering a cap on the amount of electricity that solar companies can sell to utilities, a change which would be retroactive.
Subsidy Watch spoke to Juan Laso, president of the Asociación Empresarial Fotovoltaica (the Photovoltaic Industry Association), who said that the reason that billions of euros had been invested in solar parks throughout the country was because Spain had guaranteed the fixed feed-in tariffs to solar-power producers for 25 years. He argued that the proposed cuts would render existing investments unprofitable and, given that most of the costs associated with solar-power production are paid up-front, could lead to many solar-power companies going bankrupt and defaulting on investment loans.
It is not clear what the future bears for Spain’s once-promising solar-power industry now that investor confidence has clearly been shaken, one of the cardinal sins of a good renewables support policy. It also seems evident that despite the best of intentions regarding environmental sustainability, subsidies to renewables can be economically unsustainable if they are not well-designed – to both the detriment of the public purse and the development of a future, low-carbon energy supply.
In March 2007, European Union members agreed that 20% of energy needs will be sourced from renewable energy by 2020. Many EU governments reacted by pouring billions of euros in subsidies into their wind- and solar-energy industries. Yet in Spain, at least, the financial crisis that began in 2008 has exposed serious shortcomings in renewable-energy support policies, giving ammunition to critics who argue that both the wind and solar power sectors would not be viable without government subsidies.
Spain subsidizes renewable energy using ‘feed-in tariffs’, a subsidy mechanism whereby utility companies are legally obliged to purchase the available renewable energy at special above-market rates before they can purchase energy at market prices. Such policies typically guarantee operators of renewable-energy plants above-market rates for 10 or more years in order to increase investor confidence. According to the IEA, it is also good practice for a feed-in tariff to gradually offer lower rates year-on-year for new investments, taking into account cost reductions as technologies mature.
Currently, wind power operators in Spain can choose to sell their energy at either a feed-in tariff rate of €77 (US$ 98 ) per megawatt-hour (MWh) or the market price plus a premium of €30 (US$ 38) per MWh, up to a maximum of €90 (US$ 114) per MWh. The payments are guaranteed for the entire lifetime of the system, although tariffs are reduced a little after the first 20 years of operation. There is no pre-set schedule lowering tariffs for new investments as the technology matures.
Initially, solar power producers could sell their energy at a feed-in tariff rate set at €440 (US$ 565) per MWh, although after the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 this was lowered for any new projects to €259 (US$ 329) per MWh. Payments are again guaranteed for the lifetime of the systems, with slight reductions to the tariffs being made after a longer period than wind, 25 years. According to the IEA, feed-in tariffs are adjusted every quarter for new systems.
By comparison, the market price for electricity, which is set by the cost of energy sources such as natural gas, has been under €45 (US$ 57) per MWh for the last couple of years. This makes Spain one of the biggest renewable-energy subsidizers on the continent.
The feed-in tariffs have been very effective at boosting capacity in Spain, transforming the country into a world leader in wind and solar electricity production in just a few short years. In 2008 Spain accounted for half of the world’s new solar energy installations by wattage. Today it boasts the world’s largest renewable energy company, Valencia-based Iberdrola Renovables, which operates wind farms throughout Europe and the Americas. The heavy investment has also put it on track to meet the EU’s 20% renewable energy target by 2020. In fact, according to figures published by El País, Spain was already producing 20% of its electricity through wind and solar power in 2009.
But the crisis and subsequent European sovereign-debt-default scare has recently forced the government in Madrid to drastically cut spending by, among other things, reviewing its significant expenditure on renewable energy. In 2009 alone the country had spent an estimated €3.2 billion (US$ 4.1 billion) subsidizing solar and wind power.
The strain on government revenue is in part due to the way Spain has designed its feed-in tariff system. Usually, this type of subsidy is paid for by utilities charging more for the electricity they sell to consumers, to cover the cost of buying renewable energy at above-market prices. Therefore no money is actually paid out of government revenues: consumers bear the cost directly by paying higher electricity bills. In Spain, however, the price of electricity has been kept artificially low since 2000. The burden has been shouldered by utilities, which have been operating at a loss on the basis of a government guarantee to eventually pay them back. The sum of this so-called ‘tariff deficit’ has accumulated to over €16 billion (US$ 20 billion) since 2000. For comparison, Spain’s deficit in 2009 was around €90 billion (US$ 116 billion) in 2009 and its accumulated debt around €508 billion (US$ 653 billion).
Due to this growing cost and the need to cut spending, Spain’s ruling Socialist Worker’s Party launched negotiations with the wind- and solar-power sectors earlier this year over cuts to feed-in tariffs. In July, the government managed to reach an agreement with the wind-power sector under which it will cut the top-up rate to wind energy producers by 35% until 2013, a move that could save the country as much as €1.3 billion (US$ 1.6 billion), according to Spanish daily El Mundo.
It has been more difficult to reach an agreement with the solar power sector, which is much more heavily subsidized due to its higher feed-in tariff rate. In 2009, the solar power industry received over €2.6 billion (US$ 3.3 billion) though it supplied only 2% of Spain’s electricity, while wind received €600 million (US$ 764 million) for supplying 18% of the country's electricity.
Having already cut tariffs for new projects in 2008, the Spanish government announced in May of this year that it would again be reviewing subsidies to the solar-power industry, launching rumors that retroactive cuts were being considered, which sent shockwaves through the sector and froze new investment.
After failing to reach an agreement, on 31 July the government announced plans for a further 45% cut in the feed-in tariff for new ground solar installations, the plant-type which currently makes up the majority of solar capacity in Spain. The government is also considering a cap on the amount of electricity that solar companies can sell to utilities, a change which would be retroactive.
Subsidy Watch spoke to Juan Laso, president of the Asociación Empresarial Fotovoltaica (the Photovoltaic Industry Association), who said that the reason that billions of euros had been invested in solar parks throughout the country was because Spain had guaranteed the fixed feed-in tariffs to solar-power producers for 25 years. He argued that the proposed cuts would render existing investments unprofitable and, given that most of the costs associated with solar-power production are paid up-front, could lead to many solar-power companies going bankrupt and defaulting on investment loans.
It is not clear what the future bears for Spain’s once-promising solar-power industry now that investor confidence has clearly been shaken, one of the cardinal sins of a good renewables support policy. It also seems evident that despite the best of intentions regarding environmental sustainability, subsidies to renewables can be economically unsustainable if they are not well-designed – to both the detriment of the public purse and the development of a future, low-carbon energy supply.
PV FiT
San Francisco, Calif., June 22, 2011—Continued government policy adjustments are causing major shifts in the sizes, growth rates and customer segment mix of photovoltaic (PV) markets in 2011, according to the conclusions of three new Regional Downstream PV Market reports issued by Solarbuzz® today.
Specifically, European markets, led by Germany and Italy, have absorbed Feed-In Tariff (FIT) rate cuts of up to one-third between January 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011. These reductions have caused Q1’11 demand in Germany, the world’s largest PV market, to collapse to less than half of its Q1’10 size. In addition, overall European full year demand is expected to flatten in 2011 after increasing more than 170% from 2009 to 2010. These policy adjustments have particularly hit large ground-mount systems on agricultural land. Even though investment returns across the range of residential and commercial roof-mounted installations remained attractive in 1H’11, end-customers did not start to respond to fast-falling prices until June.
Europe PV Demand Share Slips, While Asia Pacific and US Grow Significantly Over Next Five Years
Europe is now projected to represent 65% of world PV demand in 2011, down from 82% in 2010, while the US will grow from 5% to 9%. The top five Asia Pacific markets led by Japan and China accounted for 11% of global demand in 2010, a share that will grow to 16% in 2011. The market share of these Asia Pacific countries is projected to increase steadily to reach at least 26% by 2015, while the US share rises to 14% by that year. In contrast to the European challenges, PV project pipelines in the US, China and India collectively now stand at a huge 25 gigawatt (GW).
“Project development activity is intense in these countries,” said Craig Stevens, President of Solarbuzz. “Successful delivery of these pipelines will first require a host of incentive mechanisms. Regulatory, financing, project structure and permitting issues must be overcome.”
European distribution margins held up better than expected during 2010 and early 2011, as project margins collapsed, causing a refocusing of business models and channels to market. Europe benefited from sharply lower prices during 1H’11 which, in particular, helped maintain Italian demand impetus. The avoidance of mid-year FIT reductions in Germany will now aid demand recovery in 2H’11. Chinese module supplier prices in Europe were as much as 25% below their European and Japanese competitors back in Q1’10. This discount steadily reduced to a low of only 10% in February 2011. However, it spiked again toward the end of Q2’11.
2010 China PV Demand More than Doubles
In China, domestic demand more than doubled in 2010, with Ningxia and Jiangsu once again the two largest provincial markets, while the utility segment accounted for 49% of the national market. In 2010, China was the second largest market in the Asia Pacific region, second only to a rejuvenated Japan whose 111% Y/Y growth was driven by residential demand, accounting for 82% of the market. Strong solar policy support already in place before the Fukushima nuclear disaster indicates that the Japanese market is projected to grow to between 1.3-1.5 GW in 2011.
Chinese Module Suppliers Gain Share in US Market
In the US, soaring utility demand is redefining end-market, product mix and channels to market. Chinese module manufacturer market share increased to 37% in 2010, led by Suntech Power, Trina Solar and Yingli Solar, with their share building again during Q1’11. In 2010, distribution channel shipment share saw a small drop to 23%, while project developer and direct utility procurement emerged as formidable new channels. In 2011, the US market is projected to reach around 2 GW, growing to as high as 6.4 GW by 2015.
“With the US utility segment projected to soar to 54% of the total market in 2012, significant changes in module supplier, inverter manufacturer, project developer, distributor, and system integrator market shares are likely to occur over the next five years,” added Stevens.
Figure 1. Global Photovoltaic Demand Share in 2010 and 2015 Forecast
Source: Solarbuzz Regional Downstream PV Market
To learn more about the European PV Market 2011, United States PV Market 2011 and Major Asia/Pacific Markets 2011 reports, please contact us at our seven global locations, email us at contact@solarbuzz.com, or call Charles Camaroto at 1.516.625.2452 for more information.
About Solarbuzz
Solarbuzz, part of The NPD Group, is a globally recognized market research business focused on solar energy and photovoltaic industries. Since 2001, Solarbuzz has grown its client-base to include many of the largest global PV manufacturers, major investment banks, equipment manufacturers, materials suppliers, hedge fund companies, and a vast range of other multi-nationals. Solarbuzz offers a wide array of reports, including Marketbuzz, an annual global PV industry report, and Solarbuzz® Quarterly, which details both historical and forecast data on the global PV supply chain. The company’s research also provides annual downstream PV market reports by region for Europe, Asia Pacific and US markets. In addition, Solarbuzz.com is a recognized and respected online resource within the solar industry. For more information, visit www.solarbuzz.com or follow us on Twitter at @Solarbuzz.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit www.npd.com and www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.
Specifically, European markets, led by Germany and Italy, have absorbed Feed-In Tariff (FIT) rate cuts of up to one-third between January 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011. These reductions have caused Q1’11 demand in Germany, the world’s largest PV market, to collapse to less than half of its Q1’10 size. In addition, overall European full year demand is expected to flatten in 2011 after increasing more than 170% from 2009 to 2010. These policy adjustments have particularly hit large ground-mount systems on agricultural land. Even though investment returns across the range of residential and commercial roof-mounted installations remained attractive in 1H’11, end-customers did not start to respond to fast-falling prices until June.
Europe PV Demand Share Slips, While Asia Pacific and US Grow Significantly Over Next Five Years
Europe is now projected to represent 65% of world PV demand in 2011, down from 82% in 2010, while the US will grow from 5% to 9%. The top five Asia Pacific markets led by Japan and China accounted for 11% of global demand in 2010, a share that will grow to 16% in 2011. The market share of these Asia Pacific countries is projected to increase steadily to reach at least 26% by 2015, while the US share rises to 14% by that year. In contrast to the European challenges, PV project pipelines in the US, China and India collectively now stand at a huge 25 gigawatt (GW).
“Project development activity is intense in these countries,” said Craig Stevens, President of Solarbuzz. “Successful delivery of these pipelines will first require a host of incentive mechanisms. Regulatory, financing, project structure and permitting issues must be overcome.”
European distribution margins held up better than expected during 2010 and early 2011, as project margins collapsed, causing a refocusing of business models and channels to market. Europe benefited from sharply lower prices during 1H’11 which, in particular, helped maintain Italian demand impetus. The avoidance of mid-year FIT reductions in Germany will now aid demand recovery in 2H’11. Chinese module supplier prices in Europe were as much as 25% below their European and Japanese competitors back in Q1’10. This discount steadily reduced to a low of only 10% in February 2011. However, it spiked again toward the end of Q2’11.
2010 China PV Demand More than Doubles
In China, domestic demand more than doubled in 2010, with Ningxia and Jiangsu once again the two largest provincial markets, while the utility segment accounted for 49% of the national market. In 2010, China was the second largest market in the Asia Pacific region, second only to a rejuvenated Japan whose 111% Y/Y growth was driven by residential demand, accounting for 82% of the market. Strong solar policy support already in place before the Fukushima nuclear disaster indicates that the Japanese market is projected to grow to between 1.3-1.5 GW in 2011.
Chinese Module Suppliers Gain Share in US Market
In the US, soaring utility demand is redefining end-market, product mix and channels to market. Chinese module manufacturer market share increased to 37% in 2010, led by Suntech Power, Trina Solar and Yingli Solar, with their share building again during Q1’11. In 2010, distribution channel shipment share saw a small drop to 23%, while project developer and direct utility procurement emerged as formidable new channels. In 2011, the US market is projected to reach around 2 GW, growing to as high as 6.4 GW by 2015.
“With the US utility segment projected to soar to 54% of the total market in 2012, significant changes in module supplier, inverter manufacturer, project developer, distributor, and system integrator market shares are likely to occur over the next five years,” added Stevens.
Figure 1. Global Photovoltaic Demand Share in 2010 and 2015 Forecast
Source: Solarbuzz Regional Downstream PV Market
To learn more about the European PV Market 2011, United States PV Market 2011 and Major Asia/Pacific Markets 2011 reports, please contact us at our seven global locations, email us at contact@solarbuzz.com, or call Charles Camaroto at 1.516.625.2452 for more information.
About Solarbuzz
Solarbuzz, part of The NPD Group, is a globally recognized market research business focused on solar energy and photovoltaic industries. Since 2001, Solarbuzz has grown its client-base to include many of the largest global PV manufacturers, major investment banks, equipment manufacturers, materials suppliers, hedge fund companies, and a vast range of other multi-nationals. Solarbuzz offers a wide array of reports, including Marketbuzz, an annual global PV industry report, and Solarbuzz® Quarterly, which details both historical and forecast data on the global PV supply chain. The company’s research also provides annual downstream PV market reports by region for Europe, Asia Pacific and US markets. In addition, Solarbuzz.com is a recognized and respected online resource within the solar industry. For more information, visit www.solarbuzz.com or follow us on Twitter at @Solarbuzz.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit www.npd.com and www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Investor Update - I005 (Grid Connection Point)
We are pleased to annount that I005 has been granted its grid connection point and shall now progress to the next stage.
Monday, July 11, 2011
UK Solar FiT
Commenting on the current state of the UK solar PV market Edwin Koot, Chief Executive of Solarplaza, said: “There are two sides to the UK market today: a buoyant market for domestic and smaller commercial installations that is very competitive, but which will undoubtedly be subject to a reduced tariff from next year; and a large-scale market that’s in a state of shock and depression. But with module prices falling so rapidly, the economics of even large-scale projects can change very quickly. The UK is an interesting place to be involved in solar right now. Manufacturers, installers and investors need to be prepared to react quickly to the opportunities that arise, and to do that they need a very good understanding of the business context.”
Responding to the outcome of the fast-track FiTs review, Shadow Energy Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “The announcement on the FiT smacks of a Government strong on words, lacking in action and at odds with its stated aim of being ‘the greenest Government ever’. Minister Greg Barker’s decision to go ahead with the proposed tariff reductions for solar PV installations larger than 50kW hammers a nail into the coffin of many future modest medium-scale community, school and hospital schemes, risking thousands of jobs in an industry that was beginning to flourish, and shows there is no coherent strategy for decentralised energy.”
Meanwhile Ray Noble, solar photovoltaic (PV) specialist at the Renewable Energy Association, blames the Treasury for the outcome of the review. He said, “The UK Government appears in total chaos relating to the future of solar energy all as a result of calamitous mistake by DECC in its previous Comprehensive Spending Review submission to the Treasury. The Treasury will not allow DECC to correct its error and this could seriously affect the rate of growth of solar in the UK. The solar industry is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene.
“The solar industry is reducing prices significantly and is playing its part in moving solar energy in the UK towards being a mainstream electricity generator, the latest predictions show grid parity could be reached before 2017.”
Speaking of what needs to happen now, Juliet Davenport, CEO and founder of 100% renewable electricity supplier Good Energy, said, “Good Energy thinks the Government needs to do a lot more to recognise the important role solar has to play in Britain’s future energy mix. One of the casualties of the FiT review will be community-sized schemes, as well as others involving public buildings such as libraries, schools and hospitals, which all have the potential to contribute to a low-carbon future. Other countries with a similar climate to the UK, such as Germany, have placed solar at the heart of their renewable energy policy and Britain is in danger of being left behind. What is important now is that the Government learns the lessons from the FiT review and develops a clear strategy to support decentralised energy in the UK.”
Responding to the outcome of the fast-track FiTs review, Shadow Energy Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “The announcement on the FiT smacks of a Government strong on words, lacking in action and at odds with its stated aim of being ‘the greenest Government ever’. Minister Greg Barker’s decision to go ahead with the proposed tariff reductions for solar PV installations larger than 50kW hammers a nail into the coffin of many future modest medium-scale community, school and hospital schemes, risking thousands of jobs in an industry that was beginning to flourish, and shows there is no coherent strategy for decentralised energy.”
Meanwhile Ray Noble, solar photovoltaic (PV) specialist at the Renewable Energy Association, blames the Treasury for the outcome of the review. He said, “The UK Government appears in total chaos relating to the future of solar energy all as a result of calamitous mistake by DECC in its previous Comprehensive Spending Review submission to the Treasury. The Treasury will not allow DECC to correct its error and this could seriously affect the rate of growth of solar in the UK. The solar industry is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene.
“The solar industry is reducing prices significantly and is playing its part in moving solar energy in the UK towards being a mainstream electricity generator, the latest predictions show grid parity could be reached before 2017.”
Speaking of what needs to happen now, Juliet Davenport, CEO and founder of 100% renewable electricity supplier Good Energy, said, “Good Energy thinks the Government needs to do a lot more to recognise the important role solar has to play in Britain’s future energy mix. One of the casualties of the FiT review will be community-sized schemes, as well as others involving public buildings such as libraries, schools and hospitals, which all have the potential to contribute to a low-carbon future. Other countries with a similar climate to the UK, such as Germany, have placed solar at the heart of their renewable energy policy and Britain is in danger of being left behind. What is important now is that the Government learns the lessons from the FiT review and develops a clear strategy to support decentralised energy in the UK.”
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