Solar panel demand down nearly 90% following subsidy cut

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 01 May 2012, 15:05

The Guardian - 01/05/12

Solar industry concerns over the effect of the cut appear to be supported by dramatic dip in installations since 1 April.

Article continues ...

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 01 May 2012, 17:30

I don't think that means people have gone off it, so much as, everybody who would have installed over the past couple of months sped-up their act to get the high rate. It'll be back to "trend" in another few months I bet.

stumuzz · Post by **stumuzz** » 03 May 2012, 11:29

Great news for cash strapped single mums.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 04 May 2012, 04:09

Looks like there was quite a bit of spare capacity in the industry to allow for peaks in installation that size. Getting rid of the spare capacity will reduce costs somewhat.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 07 May 2012, 10:44

The Independent - 07/05/12

New moves to reduce subsidies for fitting solar panels on homes are jeopardising Britain's hopes of hitting renewable energy targets and threatening thousands of jobs, David Cameron was warned last night.

Some 400 senior figures in the solar energy industry said demand for panels has collapsed since the Government started slashing financial incentives for families that want to go green.

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, seen by The Independent, they protested that the sector faced a bleak future without dramatic action to demonstrate his support for solar energy. They said that more than 6,000 people working in solar energy had lost their jobs since last summer – and 43 per cent of companies in the sector are planning redundancies.

Article continues ...

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 07 May 2012, 10:59

Aurora wrote:
The Independent - 07/05/12

New moves to reduce subsidies for fitting solar panels on homes are jeopardising Britain's hopes of hitting renewable energy targets and threatening thousands of jobs, David Cameron was warned last night.

Some 400 senior figures in the solar energy industry said demand for panels has collapsed since the Government started slashing financial incentives for families that want to go green.

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, seen by The Independent, they protested that the sector faced a bleak future without dramatic action to demonstrate his support for solar energy. They said that more than 6,000 people working in solar energy had lost their jobs since last summer – and 43 per cent of companies in the sector are planning redundancies.

Article continues ...

Join the party boys and girls

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 07 May 2012, 14:59

Some 400 senior figures in the solar energy industry said demand for panels has collapsed since the Government started slashing financial incentives for families that want to go green.

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister, seen by The Independent, they protested that the sector faced a bleak future....

Yeah, a bleak future for them. If they think solar power is so wonderful, and a sure fire winner, then they can sort it out themselves. 400 of them should be able to come up with something.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 07 May 2012, 20:52

woodburner wrote: If they think solar power is so wonderful, and a sure fire winner, then they can sort it out themselves.

You mean these 400 firms should take responsibility for the nations energy security and global climate stability? I think that since we're all in it together a little burden sharing is appropriate.

So lets dash for renewables even if uneconomic when measured with today's accounting tools that externalise the most significant factors.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 08 May 2012, 00:25

With the FIT subsidy, we are not all in it together, and never could be.You have your rather large roof covered in panels at he maximum payment, if every house in the country had panels, they could not have the payment, there's not enough money available.

There is a technical nasty about solar arrays too, either being a single site or many separate sites, like house roofs. The grid has difficulty dealing with the large surges. Where do the surges come from? They happen every time a cloud uncovers the sun as seen by the panels. It can be coped with in towns where there is the regulating gear close to hand, but in rural areas, it's not so easy.

Climate stability is not going to happen either. People will carrying on doing what they do until the whole thing goes pop. Like they have done in the past.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 08 May 2012, 00:47

Whatever you think of the technology, the government encouraged businesses to expand, and new ones to start, then pulled the rug out from under them

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 08 May 2012, 14:10

woodburner wrote:There is a technical nasty about solar arrays too, either being a single site or many separate sites, like house roofs. The grid has difficulty dealing with the large surges. Where do the surges come from? They happen every time a cloud uncovers the sun as seen by the panels. It can be coped with in towns where there is the regulating gear close to hand, but in rural areas, it's not so easy.

A cloud doesn't cover and undercover large areas at once. They move slowly across the country covering and uncovering relatively small areas at any one time. In rural areas houses are spread out and any one house will have a max of about 3kW. That's equivalent to someone switching on a kettle. Not a problem.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 08 May 2012, 19:38

Yup. As I understand it (from NG engineers) PV production up to about 4 kW per house is "seen" by the grid as reduced consumption, and presents no greater problem to the grid than do the variations in consumption.

Incredibly, I know someone who models the correlation of clouds (using Chaos theory) and once suggested she include this in a research grant proposal!