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UK solar feed-in tariff – a huge leap forward

Overwhelming public support for feed-in tariffs in the UK (even the famously oil-friendly IEA supports feed-in tariffs!) shows that the political will is there, if only the entrenched interests of the fossil fuel lobbies would get out of the way.

UK Solar Now Affordable? Feed-In Tariffs Announced,  treehugger by Sami Grover 2 Feb 2010 This morning the UK government posted its official announcement about a renewables feed-in tariff. ……. while the run up to this announcement was marked by skepticism and concern from industry and green groups alike, worried that the feed-in tariffs would be too low, now the scheme has been announced, some at least are still hailing this as a huge leap forward for green tech in Britain.

Leading solar company Solar Century, (see my review of Solar Century’s inspiring book here) put out an early response arguing that this new scheme will finally make solar affordable for UK home owners, estimating that a typical household can now save and earn over £1,000 per year for 25 years, increasing with inflation, with a typical solar electric system. They also argued that this return is guaranteed and tax-free, making it a favorable bet compared to traditional savings and pensions.

Solar Century executive chairman Jeremy Leggett had this to say:
Home energy generation and associated jobs have been given a huge boost today. The Government’s financial incentives for homes, communities and businesses to generate clean electricity marks the start of a solar revolution in the UK. For the UK to reach its carbon reduction targets, people have to be given the opportunity to generate their electricity in a rewarding and accessible way, this makes it possible……..
the initial take seems to be a mixed bag—good but could do better. Undoubtedly, many more UK households will now pursue solar or other micro-generation installations that would otherwise have waited—and that can only be a good thing for cash-strapped homes, for industry, for jobs and for our climate. But to get the kind of scaling up of renewables we need, let’s hope this is just a first step.
………………………And with feed-in tariffs being launched everywhere from Gainesville, Florida to Ontario to South Africa to Australia, communities not enacting these schemes would do well to act now or get left behind. Overwhelming public support for feed-in tariffs in the UK (even the famously oil-friendly IEA supports feed-in tariffs!) shows that the political will is there, if only the entrenched interests of the fossil fuel lobbies would get out of the way.

Breaking News: UK Solar Now Affordable? Feed-In Tariffs Announced : TreeHugger

February 2, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, renewable, UK | energy efficiency, renewable energy, renewables, solar