Supreme Court Reject DECC Appeal

Solar installations made between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012 will get the higher rate of feed-in tariff (43.3p for up to 4kW systems) as the Supreme Court rejected DECC’s appeal on Friday.

The industry has been dogged with uncertainty since the legal battle began in December last year. Friends of the Earth, Solarcentury and HomeSun took the government to court over its decision to cut the tariff rates to 21p before the consultation period was over. The High Court ruled that this was unlawful.

The government appealed, and lost, and then took its case to the Supreme Court. The court’s decision not to allow the government leave to appeal puts an end to the ongoing saga, and will hopefully end the uncertainty that has been so damaging to everyone involved in the industry.

“We are disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court not to grant permission to hear this case,” said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey. “But the Court’s decision draws a line under the case. We will now focus all our efforts on ensuring the future stability and cost effectiveness of solar and other microgeneration technologies for the many, not the few.”

The official statement from the Court said: “Permission to appeal was refused because the application does not raise an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by the Supreme Court at this time, bearing in mind that the case has already been the subject of judicial decision and reviewed on appeal and because paragraph 16 of the Court of Appeal’s judgment disposes of the proposed argument based on the subject of the challenge being only a proposal,” read the ruling.

The current FIT rate for small solar systems of 21p per kWh generated, plus 3.1p per kWh exported still gives a rate of return considerably higher than the government’s target of 4.5%. This rate is only available until 30 June 2012, when it will be reduced. All installations after 1 April will ha

Government Rejects Government’s feed-in tariff solar appeal

So what is an EPC?

An EPC tells you how energy efficient a building is and its impact on the environment. It is derived from assessment of the fuel cost per m2. For existing dwellings, the EPC is not based on actual energy usage, but standard assumptions of:

• Occupancy rates (based on the floor area)
• Assumed heating & electricity usage (based on the occupancy rate)
• Average fuel costs

The process for providing an EPC requires a certified assessor performing a site visit then inputting the data into an approved software program. For existing domestic properties, the assessor will look at the dimensions of property, the heating system, and then record details of items including loft insulation, wall insulation and windows. This data will then be fed into a software program that runs a reduced SAP (rdSAP) calculation.

Can the PV system count towards the EPC rating?

The short answer is yes … providing (as covered in an earlier post), the EPC is done after the PV installation and the EPC certificate is provided to the FIT Licensee at the time they process the FIT application.

Given this, a common question I am being asked is – “how many points will the PV system give me when calculation the EPC”. Unfortuanely there is no easy answer to this question as the point gain will vary and will depend on the property and the EPC rating before the installation. The only way to tell for sure is to feed the data into the rdSAP software.

Some other common questions …

• Once the FIT application is processed, you can’t do improvements then re-submit for a higher FIT
• If a property has no EPC, or if the EPC is E or lower – then a 9p/kWh FIT rate applies
• The EPC requirement applies to domestic and non domestic buildings. It also applies to holiday lets.
• If the PV on a barn, which is wired to a house … an EPC needed on the house
• The only EPC exemption is where a customer can “demonstrate that it is not possible to obtain an EPC certificate for the building to which the solar PV installation is attached or wired “

Getting qualified

A typical process for becoming a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) is as follows …

• 3 days of initial training – assumes experience of surveying buildings
• Portfolio building – at least 5 surveys on different building types
• 1 day – exam & witnessed assessment

During the process, the assessors will need to become familiar with building features including:

• Types of boilers – controls and efficiency
• Wall construction – solid walls, cavity walls, timber frames
• Roofs – insulation and coverings
• Windows – type and materials
• Utility services – electricity, gas, water
• Central Heating – types and controls

Payback Calculators

For people planning to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, there are a number of factors which will influence the cost of installation and the size of any savings they are likely to generate. There are a number of online solar PV calculators which can be used by prospective purchasers to gauge the overall cost effectiveness of such a system and these are offered by suppliers of solar panels, as well as on independent websites.

Some calculators are more sophisticated than others and are able to analyse the information from a greater number of variables. For instance, some calculators will be able to factor in issues such as the pitch of your roof and where in the country your installation is based. Some calculators include an environmental impact calculation which allows you to show the reduction in your carbon footprint over the life of the installation. When calculating the rate of return of installing solar panels on the roof, all calculators make the assumption that you will use a company which is certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme as this is a requirement for anyone wanting to claim Feed-In Tariffs.

What Information Will I Need?

If you want to use a solar PV calculator, you will need to gather some information in advance to be able to generate an accurate result. For the most basic sites, the information you will need will include your postcode, the direction in which your roof faces and how much space is available for panels. For some calculators, you will also need to know the pitch of your roof. The more accurate the information you supply, the more accurate the results will be. Sites will then usually calculate how long it will take for the cost of the panels to be recouped, the profit over twenty five years and the rate of return. Some sites will also give you a number of scenarios based on the cost and efficiency of a number of different panels. However, calculators will base their results on a number of assumptions which will affect their overall accuracy as bill reductions will depend on your current electricity usage and tariff.

Which Solar Calculator to Use?

Providers of solar PV calculators include the Centre for Alternative Technology which offers an environmental impact calculation, as well as the financial calculator. Solar Guide’s website gives a number of calculations including the earliest payback, the greatest payback and the greatest annual income. This site also allows adjustment for the assumption about the inverter or cable loss, the annual energy price inflation and panel degradation. If your installation site has significant shade coverage, you can choose a calculator such as that provided by Solar Insiders as this includes the ability to factor in how the shade will affect the savings and income generated by the installation. If you opt to invest in solar trackers, which allow the panels to move and follow the sun during the day, then the calculator may underestimate the efficiency of the system.

UK DOES NOT WANT 2020 RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET SCRAPPED: LETTER TO THE GUARDIAN

UK DOES NOT WANT 2020 RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET SCRAPPED: LETTER TO THE GUARDIAN

In response to a misleading article that claimed the Government wants to scrap the 2020 renewable energy target, Secretary of State Edward Davey sent the following letter to the Guardian newspaper: