Secretary of State Chris Huhne is urged to stand by the UK Solar Power Industry’s three-year take-off in an open letter signed by dozens of prominent individuals from a wide range of organisations and political parties. Diverse signatories include Brendan Barber, Zac Goldsmith, Charles Kennedy, Baroness Angela Smith and Tony Juniper.

The letter was co-ordinated by the We Support Solar campaign which reactivated in response to the negative speculation about the future of the solar PV Tariff rates under the Comprehensive Spending Review.

The latest figures on solar installations from Ofgem show that September installation rates slowed to levels last seen in May, in response to growing uncertainty. While demand for solar PV naturally reduces over winter months, early figures for October are surprisingly low.

Leonie Greene, Campaign Manager at WSS said, “We co-ordinated this letter to remind the Coalition Government that very different people of all political colours support solar power. They want to see solar power take off for many reasons including jobs, social and commercial enterprise, climate change, energy security - and just sheer love of this incredible technology.”

The letter is signed by politicians (including two former energy ministers), environmental campaign groups, unions, academics, social housing providers, industry leaders, rural interest groups, transition towns and even church ministers. It follows a letter from solar power companies last week which warned the government risks destabilising private sector investment in green growth if changes are made to the Tariff ahead of the scheduled 2013 review.

Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-ops UK, who signed the letter said “Solar power at a community level is the best hope we have to turn the Big Society from words to action. What new and emerging energy co-operatives need from the state is a stable and effective framework, after years of empty promises and practical penalties.”

Leonie Greene added, “I’m hearing astonishment from all kinds of people that ‘the greenest government ever’ could even contemplate rocking the boat on what is surely our last chance to catch up with the huge solar revolution happening around the world. There may be specific issues to address, but the UK really can’t afford wobbles for the whole sector just six months in.’

‘Germany will celebrate installing around 6GW of solar power this year, while the UK is working up a sweat about 16MW – that’s 375 times less. You just want to say ‘relax and enjoy – this is what green growth looks like! This is what ‘power to the people’ means!’”

The We Support Solar letter remains open to signatories online and the campaign urges people and organisations from all walks of life to write to their MP and to sign on and actively show their support for solar.

Signatories include:
Brendan Barber, General Secretary, TUC
William Worsley, President, Country Land and Business Association
Simon McWhirter, Campaign Director, Great British Refurb
Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist & Director of Policy, Greenpeace UK
Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change, WWF-UK
Caroline Lucas MP, Leader, Green Party
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP
Zac Goldsmith MP
Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive, Renewable Energy Association
Tony Juniper, Sustainability Advisor and Campaigner
Martin Horwood MP
Simon Hughes MP
Marco Dell’Aquila, Chariman, Power Capital
David Caro, Chair, Federation of Small Business Environment Committee
Alan Whitehead MP, Chair, Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group
Peter Ainsworth, Robertsbridge Group & Chair, Plantlife International
Dave Sowden, Chief Executive, Micropower Council
Paul Foote, Director, Conservative Environment Network
Ed Mayo, Secretary General, Co-operatives UK
Craig Jackson, Senior Architectural Technician, South Yorkshire Housing Association
Dr Robert Gross, Director, Centre for Energy Policy and Technology, Imperial College
Howard Johns, Chairman, Solar Trade Association
John Hemming MP
Steve Norris, Co-author, Conservative’s Quality of Life Report
Rev Canon Peter Challen, Christian Council for Monetary Justice
Alan Simpson, Sustainable Energy Advisor, Friends of the Earth
Juliet Davenport, Founder and Chief Executive, Good Energy
Andrew Lee, General Manager, Sharp Energy Solutions Europe
Sean Kidney, Chair, Climate Bonds Initiative
Derry Newman, Chief Executive, Solarcentury
Ed Matthew, Programme Director, Transform UK
Adrian Sanders MP
Chrissie Godfrey, Taunton Transition Town
Will Frazer, Farming Futures, Forum for the Future
Gavin Markham, Editor, Green Guide
Oliver Heath, Eco designer, Writer and Television Presenter
Cathy Debenham, Founder and Director, YouGen
Professor Peter Lynn, University of Essex
Dr John Pugh MP
Professor Jim Marshall, University of Liverpool
Alice-Marie Archer, Schumacher Institute
Tony Faulkner, Centre for Alternative Technology
Penny Velander, Eastleigh Transition Network
Dr Peter W Skelton, Honorary Visiting Reader, The Open University
Dick Wolff, United Reformed Church Minister & Oxford City Councillor
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs, Federation of Master Builders
Ray Horwood CBE, Chief Executive, National Federation of Roofing Contractors
Gerry Doherty, Chief Executive, Brent Housing Partnership
Kevin Webster, Managing Director, Romag Ltd
Steve Bratt, CEO, Electrical Contractors Association

By Chris Welby, Good Energy’s Commercial Director.

Recent speculation in the press about the future of both the Feed in Tariff (FiT) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is deeply concerning.  Both are being considered in the government’s spending review and this uncertainty is damaging confidence and deterring people from investing in new renewable technologies.  So let us get a few facts straight.

1. There is no government money in the FiT and there does not need to be any government money in the RHI.

The Feed in Tariff costs are paid for by electricity suppliers, and ultimately by electricity consumers. Scrapping the scheme or reducing the payout will not decrease the public deficit. Rather, the decision by the Government to allow Local Authorities to sell electricity to the grid and claim the FiT could provide Local Authorities with an income stream to supplement any cuts in government funding.

The RHI could be built on similar lines, but paid for by gas suppliers. The gas industry has had a lot of support over the years from the state, something that customers off the gas network have been denied. Arguments about needing to include Oil & LPG providers are a sideshow. Gas suppliers, like electricity ones, are licensed and we have a template in the FiT, so there is no reason to delay further.

2. The Schemes do not reward the rich at the expense of the poor.

One of the biggest growth areas in FiT is social landlords. Landlords can invest in the generation equipment and earn a sufficient return through the FiT to cover that investment. Tenants will benefit from free electricity and thus lower bills. It’s a win-win situation. Private landlords are also getting in on the act (see previous blog). After all, renewable energy is probably a safer investment at the moment than buying more properties. Local Authorities will also be getting involved pretty soon.

The other big growth area is from entrepreneurial businesses (including some big household names) offering to install solar panels for free in return for the FiT payment, the occupier gaining the free electricity in return. There are schemes for all levels of society so it cannot be said to be the preserve of the rich.

With the RHI there is the added incentive of helping those off the gas grid who pay significantly more for their heating fuel. Rural poverty is a big issue and helping to address this will also meet social objectives, especially when combined with energy efficiency.

It is difficult to address fuel poverty through social tariffs and special fuel allowances - creating social housing which needs to import very little energy from the grid is far more effective.

3. Decentralised energy is key to energy security.

Generating your own renewable energy is the ultimate in energy security. There’s no reliance on third parties/government for your fuel – whether you are an individual or a country importing energy in the form of gas, oil, coal or uranium. The UK has been lucky in the past to have fossil fuel resources from coal and more recently North Sea gas. But these are on the decline and as a nation we are no longer self-sufficient in energy. But we could be once again – the UK is the windiest country in Europe. We believe that if people generate their own energy they will value it more and use it less – and we can turn the UK 100% renewable by 2050.

At heart, FiT & RHI are not just government schemes to influence consumer behaviour. They are energy industry schemes which can deliver on our desire to revolutionise and decarbonise the way we use and produce energy. So please, just let us get on with it. Go to Good Energy for more blogs on renewable energy.

On the day that Greg Barker, Minister for Decentralised Energy endorses “Feed-In Tariffs” for solar power, the industry releases figures showing how the industry has growth since the introduction of the policy.  Since April, homeowners and commercial sites have benefitted from guaranteed long-term tariff rates for the green electricity they generate.

“In the first five months of the scheme, the tariffs have had more impact on solar PV than other technologies, but that’s hardly surprising,” said Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive of the REA.

“Solar panels are the most straightforward renewable power generation technology for the average householder.  All you need is some roof space with the right aspect.  It is usually rapid to install and planning permission is rarely required as it is permitted development.   Even so, it is important to keep this growth in perspective.  Last year, the UK installed just 2% of the PV installed in Belgium, so we have a lot of catching up to do.”

There is considerable confusion about the exact number of projects which have been built as a consequence of the Feed-In Tariffs, as the Ofgem site includes projects that were built before the regime started.  So far around 2,000 such schemes have been transferred from the Renewables Obligation on to the Feed-in Tariff list.  These include installations that were commissioned after 15th July 2009, and are eligible for the full tariff rate, and those that were commissioned before 15th July 2009 that receive 9p per kWh.  There are currently around 6,945 new PV installations, commissioned since April 1st, benefitting from Feed-In Tariffs.  78 of these were larger schemes, serving multiple occupants and the rest householders themselves.  The deadline for notifying Ofgem that you would like to transfer to the Feed-in Tariff list is given as 1st October in Ofgem guidance notes. There are at least 570 more projects currently on the RO register, to transfer to the FIT register, and possibly many more.  There has been interest in larger projects, but none have yet been commissioned.  There should be some clarity very shortly, when Ofgem publishes a newsletter which will give information about the transferral timetable.

The Renewable Energy Association has surveyed its members, and claims that the tariffs have resulted in a 62% increase in employment levels to date, with an overall increase of 125% likely by the end of the first tariff year.  The growth in jobs among companies supporting the ‘We Support Solar’ campaign is also consistent with the REA survey findings.
The Renewable Energy Association and the We Support Solar campaign are delighted with this progress, welcome Greg Barker’s support and call for long term stability in order to bring forward investment.

“This data is strong evidence that the industry is now starting to expand in the UK after many years of stop-start support which got us nowhere,” said Leonie Greene, Campaign Manager for ‘We Support Solar’.

“The UK industry needs a sustained period of confidence and stability to invest for growth, so that deployment can be increased and costs can come down in future.  It is very encouraging to see Energy Minister Greg Barker today recognising the importance of the FIT scheme for the emerging PV industry - and for communities that want the power to go green.”

For more details, please see the joint REA, We Support Solar press release.

Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP
Secretary of State
DECC
3 Whitehall Place
London SW1A 2AW

c.c. Minister of State Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State Greg Barker MP

Dear Secretary of State,

A recent newspaper article based on an interview with Charles Hendry (Minister with the energy to bat for Britain, 23 August) suggested that funding “may be slashed” for feed-in tariff technologies such as solar pv and the forthcoming renewable heat incentive. As you know, heat is responsible for 47 percent of UK emissions and 49 percent of UK energy demand, so no Government serious about climate change or energy security can ignore half the problem.

Both renewable heat and solar pv are decentralised technologies, which put the power to generate directly in people’s hands. Costs come down when the industry can plan and invest with confidence, and economies of scale are achieved - that is one of the simple aims of these policy mechanisms. They are demonstrably effective in reducing costs - for example, the cost of pv halved in a decade in Germany under a similar scheme and costs under the UK scheme are forecast to more than halve by 2020. The UK’s pv market is now finally getting off the ground, with jobs projected to treble in 2010 alone.

You published a report with your July Energy Statement estimating that the cost to households of energy and climate change policies could be counterbalanced by savings from existing energy efficiency policies. We hope DECC Ministers will advocate this approach, including in the Comprehensive Spending Review, to explain how essential technological innovation can be paid for. We were disappointed not to see this argument made in recent media coverage. Pursuing energy efficiency alongside renewables is clearly the right approach.

Yours sincerely

Gaynor Hartnell
Chief Executive
Renewable Energy Association

Alan Simpson
Sustainable Energy Adviser
Friends of the Earth

Peter Kendall
President
National Farmers’ Union

David Caro
Chair FSB Environment Committee
Federation of Small Businesses

John Sauven
Executive Director
Greenpeace UK

Ray Horwood CBE
Chief Executive
National Federation of Roofing Contractors

Peter Kindersley
Farmer and Entrepreneur

William Worsley
President
Country Land and Business Association

Tony Juniper
Sustainability Adviser and Campaigner

Frances O’Grady
Deputy General Secretary
TUC

Howard Johns
Chairman
Solar Trade Association

Brian Berry
Director External Affairs
Federation of Master Builders

Chris Baugh
Assistant General Secretary
Public and Commercial Services Union

Andrew Lee
General Manager
Sharp Energy Solutions Europe

Neil Schofield
Head of Sustainable Development
Worcester Bosch

Gavin Hayes
General Secretary
Compass

Ed Mayo
Secretary General
Co-operatives UK

Julia Craik
Managing Director
The Premises Studios Ltd

Derry Newman
Chief Executive
Solarcentury

John Meadows
Managing Director
Schott UK

Dave Sowden
Chief Executive
Micropower Council

Leonie Greene
Campaign Manager
We Support Solar

Andrew Leech
Executive Director
National Home Improvement Council

Craig Jackson
Senior Architectural Technician
South Yorkshire Housing Association Limited

James Hoare
Managing Director Ardenham Energy

Juliet Davenport
Chief Executive Good Energy

Carol Tanner
Director of Finance and Marketing
Plug Into The Sun

SolarAid is a British international development charity that promotes the use of solar energy to help reduce global poverty and climate change. Sunny schools is SolarAid’s first UK-based project which, thanks to support from the City Bridge Trust, will be starting in London primary schools.

Sunny Schools is currently running a pilot project, but will soon be looking for enthusiastic teacher champions in London to run the programme in their primary school starting this September. If you would like to be a part of this exciting scheme, please contact Kathy Hill, SolarAid’s Development Education Coordinator, on info@solar-aid.org for more information.

Read more about SolarAid and Sunny schools.

Will Anderson

Will Anderson, an ambitious self-builder, built himself a house which is completely energy self-sufficient and which generates more power and heat on site than it consumes.
‘The tree house’, as the project is known, features a solar PV roof which generates enough power to run the ground source heat pumps, even on cloudy days!

The solar panels on his roof he produce 4,400 units, enough for all the heating and power throughout the year.

Read the rest of the story and find out more info on the Telegraph website and let us know about any other cool self-build projects.

British cyclists return from 13,500 mile cycle ride to new rewards for making solar electricity.

On the road at an angle. As well as sun in the deserts there is definitely a lot of wind...

A pair of campaigning cyclists will tomorrow return to London having completed a 13,500 mile, nine month circumnavigation of the globe. British environmental campaigners Susie Wheeldon and Jamie Vining, otherwise known as the ‘Solar Cycle Diary’ team, are celebrating the success of their trip in helping to raise awareness of the important role of solar power as part of the world’s energy future. 

A monk takes an interest in the bikes on the Tibetan Plateau - the closest place on Earth to the Sun

When the cyclists departed from Tower Bridge, London, in May 2009 they called for a decent price to be paid to those generating solar electricity in the UK. Together with ‘We Support Solar’ they claimed this strong ‘Feed-in tariff’ would create a more stable, cleaner energy mix and creating thousands of ‘green collar’ jobs. The team has also raised thousands of pounds for SolarAid, the London based non-profit solar energy organisation for the developing world.

Just over a fortnight ago, to the delight of the cyclists, solar power industry and homeowners across the country, the Government announced the price to be paid to those generating solar electricity in the UK, known as solar ‘Feed-in tariff’ rates. Heralded as ‘revolutionary for UK solar power’ by the UK’s leading solar energy company Solarcentury, the average home can now earn and save over £1,000 a year with a typical solar electric system, a return guaranteed for 25 years. Research has shown this will create thousands of new jobs over the next three years.

At the Kuraymat Concentrated Solar Power Station

Cyclist Susie Wheeldon said: “It’s great to be home after such a huge journey. Even better to think that our campaigning might have made a difference. We are more determined than ever that solar power must play a very significant role in our energy future; we’ve seen some fantastic solar projects across the globe and know it can deliver on a larger scale. We’re so happy that the UK’s made so much headway since our departure - now solar power is a great investment for people. We will continue to campaign for this fantastic technology.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said: ‘Welcome back and very well done to Susie and Jamie. Their epic round-the-world trip, fuelled by a potent combination of human pedal power and the renewable energy of the sun, has helped to successfully put the latest solar technology on the map.”

The gruelling journey took them through 14 countries, deserts and mountains to also raise money for

Solar Cola! Susie wearing hijab in Iran - very warm for cycling

SolarAid; the London based solar energy charity for the developing world. They were equipped with thin-film photovoltaic (PV) panels, custom built into their panniers by G24 Innovations, to power the very latest in Nokia navigation, communications and sports technology; allowing their supporters to follow them second by second around the globe. For more information to go

www.thesolarcyclediaries.com

We Support Solar today welcomes the newly announced Clean Energy Cash Back scheme.

The Government’s new Clean Energy Cash Back scheme should drive forward a year on year expansion of the UK solar PV sector, albeit at lower levels than would have been delivered at the tariffs recommended by the campaign.   The tariff numbers confirmed today stop short of the campaign ask of another 10p, but do mean that the solar PV  industry can invest in new jobs and new products with confidence, after a period of policy uncertainty.  The Government is to be congratulated for recognising the important role that solar PV can play in engaging households to help deliver its 2020 renewable energy target and for improving it’s original July 2009 consultation proposals for the technology  It’s vital now that the scheme is implemented smoothly and without delay from April.

The cash payments that will be made to homes, businesses and communities for generating green electricity - announced today (Monday 1 February 2010) by climate secretary Ed Miliband - are lacking in ambition, says Friends of the Earth.

The environmental campaign group, which led the campaign for a feed-in tariff, said that the payment levels should have been set to produce a 10 per cent return on investment instead of the five to eight per cent return that has been agreed.

Although the Government announced some welcome improvements to its feed-in tariff proposals today (such as increasing tariff payments with inflation), the scheme is still predicted to contribute just two per cent of UK electricity by 2020, despite research which shows that the scheme could generate three times as much with increased tariff payments.

Friends of the Earth’s green homes campaigner Dave Timms said:

“The introduction of cash incentives to boost small scale green electricity generation is welcome - however, Ministers have been far too timid with a policy that could make a significant contribution to cutting emissions and boosting energy security.

“Installing renewable technologies will now be a good investment for many homes

- but farmers, businesses, communities and others will get little or no extra incentive to invest in clean electricity.

“There is huge public support for small-scale green energy schemes. The Government must do much more to tap into this enthusiasm and ensure that everyone plays their part in developing a safer, cleaner future.”

Last week a YouGov survey for Friends of the Earth, the Renewable Energy Association and the Co-operative Group revealed that two thirds of the population think that Government feed in tariff plans are not ambitious enough, and 71 per cent of homeowners said they would consider installing green energy systems if they were paid enough cash.

Households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will from April be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.

The public overwhelmingly support a much more ambitious scheme to push renewable energy for homes and communities, a new poll shows today ahead of a key government announcement next week.

Government officials are putting the finishing touches to plans to boost the take-up of renewable energy in Britain - which is the lowest in Europe - through a system known as the “clean energy cashback”, or feed-in tariff.

In July last year the government unveiled the scheme which has been used successfully for years in other European countries and pays above-market rates for green electricity produced by consumers.

But the proposed tariff levels for power produced by small wind turbines, solar panels and micro hydro schemes were criticised by green campaigners as not being high enough to encourage businesses, households and communities to invest.

A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 people carried out for Friends of the Earth (FoE), the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and the Cooperative Group shows two-thirds of people think that the government’s plans are not ambitious enough, while 71% of homeowners said they would consider installing green energy systems if they were paid enough cash. The Department of Energy and Climate Change is expected to announce the tariff levels next week.

Read the full article.