Further Feed-in-Tariff cuts announced

On the 30th January 2015 the Government announced that it will be cutting the Solar Feed-in-Tariff rates for all systems greater than 50kWp on the 1st April 2015.

This latest tariff cut will see a 3.5% cut on all tariff levels above 50kWp (200 panels). On the 1st January 2015 all systems below 50kWp was cut by 3.5%. There is some positive news that even with the latest wave of tariff cuts Solar can still be a viable proposition providing a good return on investment.

It is possible to pre-accredit solar systems above 50kWp however to do this the planning permission must have been accepted in addition to having a signed grid connection agreement in place. With just 2 months until the tariff cut this leaves little time!

The subsidy behind the Solar PV has been open to previous controversial cuts however reduction in the cost of Solar panels has enabled Solar PV to still be an attractive investment. That said with the introduction of anti dumping levy's imposed on Chinese modules the cost of panels have not significantly fluctuated during the past 18 months. Therefore every future tariff cut will have an effect on the overall investment return.

Martin Bleasby, at Discover Energy, commented "Solar PV has many attractive benefits such as significant savings on electricity bills, protection from increased electricity prices and many environmental benefits. However, it is still the Feed-in-Tariff that provides the most significant advantage through government support providing a healthy return on investment. Solar PV is one of the most secured renewable energy technologies with system production being easily predicted and requiring little maintenance and resources. For the last 2 years many companies have been claiming now is the best time to invest in PV and I have to finally agree with them.There has been no significant reductions in major components but there is still cuts in government support on the horizon".

Discover Energy are experts in Solar PV and are currently installing over 1500 solar panels every month. The company has recently secured an exclusive distribution rights to a leading Solar panel manufacturer resulting in providing its customers the best possible prices.

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