Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

csae

zeupater wrote: »

That's correct .... but the sentence was added quickly for clarification after reading through the posted content and realising that I'd intended to include it but missed it out ... so that another referencing post wasn't necessary the post was amended and this was done prior to the next post on the thread arriving (if that makes sense) ... just attempting to keep a long post on the thread clear and concise ...

For reference, the added content is the last sentence of the first paragraph .... the change prior to the addition was a typo, as was the one after, note to self - must get the fingers serviced and stop hitting 'Submit' instead of 'Preview' .....

Regards

Hi Zeu.

Thanks for the clarification...;) (oh and poorly has an "R" in it);).

Zeupater, Am I right in thinking you have PV installed?. And can I also ask why you are so opposed to companies taking advantage of the FITs if you have already become an adopter, your investment is safe so to speak, so why "bother" about what others are doing?

That isn't the start of an arguement by the way, just curiosity..

Cheers CSAE...

P.s I now notice that pension funds are getting involved in the FITS..

Gizmosmum_2

csae wrote: »

Hi Zeu.


P.s I now notice that pension funds are getting involved in the FITS..

Have been planning it since the beginning of the year. Before Connaught went belly up they were going to invest big style and there's loads more (possibly more solvent!!) going down the same route. It's perceived as a "low risk" investment.

csae

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Have been planning it since the beginning of the year. Before Connaught went belly up they were going to invest big style and there's loads more (possibly more solvent!!) going down the same route. It's perceived as a "low risk" investment.

My spies tell me that the Connaught PV division has been taken over by BG down in South Wales, so it seems that all PV that was planned is continuing, but on a much larger scale...

Gizmosmum_2

csae wrote: »

My spies tell me that the Connaught PV division has been taken over by BG down in South Wales, so it seems that all PV that was planned is continuing, but on a much larger scale...

Interesting, when are BG going public?? I wonder if they are waiting for the 20th October Spending Review

zeupater

csae wrote: »

Hi Zeu.

Thanks for the clarification...;) (oh and poorly has an "R" in it);).

Zeupater, Am I right in thinking you have PV installed?. And can I also ask why you are so opposed to companies taking advantage of the FITs if you have already become an adopter, your investment is safe so to speak, so why "bother" about what others are doing?

That isn't the start of an arguement by the way, just curiosity..

Cheers CSAE...

P.s I now notice that pension funds are getting involved in the FITS..

Hi csae

You are correct, I have pv, and have also corrected yet another typo, although there could be an argument that some recently drafted legislation is very 'pooly' ....

Addressing your curiosity, I have no problem with any company taking advantage of the Fit scheme at all, as long as they operate within the obviously intended meaning of the legislation, not taking advantage of a loophole which has been discovered.

As previously posted, the FiT payments are aimed at small producers, with a banded tariff depending on the installed capacity which was set at a level to help ensure that there was always an incentive to the consumer/small generator in the form of an eventual payback & profit based on typical single installation prices. The banding reflects the perceived economies of scale of cost/kWp which larger installation contracts would attract.

Anyone, or any organisation, who/which contracts to install tens, hundreds or thousands of installations will attract substantial economies of scale which the individual consumer/installer would not, therefore the payback period for the initial investment is considerably reduced and due to the loophole in the legislation the overall profitability over the 25 year scheme is enhanced far beyond the levels which FiT payments were developed to cover. It is the electricity consumer who will be paying for these loophole enhanced corporate profits through increased energy costs.

The suggestion of aggregating the total capacity would not exclude small/medium companies, such as ASG/ISIS etc, from investing in renewables at all, it would just bring the payback/profitability more inline with what was originally envisaged and maybe cap their ambitions a little, unless they were to consider schemes for larger scale renewables.

The real elephant in the room here is the effect of the large utility companies currently entering the market to take advantage of the loophole. The FiT payments will be made by the large energy companies to .... (yes, you've guessed it) ..... themselves and the beauty of that to their bottom line is that the cost of energy will be increased to cover the payment .... which both increases profitability and energy inflation .... which increases the FiT tariff payment .... which both increases the profitability of the energy company and energy inflation .... which ............... and on, and on ...... in time the whole price of energy becomes decoupled from the true generating or investment cost and becomes a self perpetuating runaway monster, which eventually will destroy many times the number of private sector jobs in the UK economy than it could possibly create as more and more energy dependent companies either fold or move overseas .....

Unless checked, this will be another economic disaster, a private sector destroyer, just at the time we need to support that sector ........

Hope this helps ....

Regards

Mankysteve

Gizmosmum wrote: »

True, but what did we actually manage to do about it

Absolutely naff all by the looks of it.

Doc_N

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Interesting, when are BG going public?? I wonder if they are waiting for the 20th October Spending Review

Quite possibly - I have a feeling this might put paid to these schemes altogether and restrict it to individuals. Also that the FIT rates could be reduced ahead of April 2012.

Jon_Tiffany

Doc_N wrote: »

Quite possibly - I have a feeling this might put paid to these schemes altogether and restrict it to individuals. Also that the FIT rates could be reduced ahead of April 2012.

I'll be very surprised if they reduce the rates early.

From the governments point of view this isn't costing them anything, but it is creating lots of jobs and helping to revive the economy. Some of the panels are even made in the UK.

As the free solar offers are more or less identical, I would suggest that those looking to take up the offer, if possible go with a British owned company, and one that uses Sharp panels which are made in Wales would be even better.

In the long run we are looking at large fines from the EU if we do not reduce our CO2 output. Not sure of how much the fines are, if anyone has any extra info plase let us know.

Cardew

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

I'll be very surprised if they reduce the rates early.

From the governments point of view this isn't costing them anything, but it is creating lots of jobs and helping to revive the economy. Some of the panels are even made in the UK.

As the free solar offers are more or less identical, I would suggest that those looking to take up the offer, if possible go with a British owned company, and one that uses Sharp panels which are made in Wales would be even better.

It depends how you define 'made in the UK' - perhaps 'assembled in UK' might be a better term?

Gizmosmum_2

Cardew wrote: »

It depends how you define 'made in the UK' - perhaps 'assembled in UK' might be a better term?

Does it matter, if what it really means is jobs generated in the UK? I know that's a bit flippant and there's loads of arguments about where the profit goes but jobs generated are of prime importance at the minute. It's only the wafer that isn't made in the UK and that's because the people who make it in Asia won't (understandably) release the IP for how the wafers are made.

NE panels = profit and jobs, Wales panels = jobs - both essential to the economy at the minute.