Praise for FITs cut as axe falls

Cuts to subsidies for large-scale solar parks have been welcomed by business supplying free panels to households.


The biggest change, which comes in from today (August 1) see solar parks generating more than 50kW get a reduced subsidy from 32.9p a kWh to 19p a kW.

The cuts have upset many business and organisations have been upset by changes to Feed-In Tariffs (FITs).

But smaller business, aimed at the domestic market, pointed out a thirtd of the funding set aside by the Government for FITs was being consumed by the large parks.

HomeSun chief executive, Daniel Green, said if the change to the rates of subsidy wasn’t made, it would mean less than a tenth of the number of houses getting solar panel that could otherwise qualify for funding.

Mr Green said: “The priority for FITs must be making renewables as widely accessible as possible, getting power into the hands of individuals and cutting back on the 27% of carbon emissions that come from our homes.

“By reining in the subsidy going to big solar parks, the government has kept the vision for solar-powered homes alive.”

However, Mr Green also called on the Government to keep funding for solar flowing when it announces its full FITs review this autumn.

He added: “They should now ensure there is another year of strong support allowing the UK’s solar industry to get up to a sustainable scale.”

Luke Walsh

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