Feed In Tariffs(FIT) Announced.

Cardew

Cardew wrote: »

If you check some of the Solar firms operating from the Poole/Bournemouth area you will find that firms spring up from the ashes of other solar firms that have ceased trading.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1274784/They-tell-solar-panels-eco-friendly-save-money-The-truth-They-dont-work-time-100-YEARS-pay-.html

John_Pierpoint

mysterons wrote: »

I wont name and shame my local council as it'd be pretty easy for them to work out who I am given the nature of the request but to quote their letter 'please submit £60 which is the appropriate fee for this type of enquiry.' The letter then goes on to warn that there could be 'legal consequences' to carrying on without planning permission. More or less legal blackmail really.
With regards Tesco not being the quickest for installation I'd rather take my chances on them still being around for the duration of any guarantee period than some local independent that may do a 'phoenix' when problems arise in the future leaving their old customers high and dry.

I've noticed that some councils are offering to interpret the building and planning regulations for us to give us an indication of what is possible "unofficially". A simple put-through application for planning permission then becomes money for old rope from their point of view. (Legally speaking it is the planning committee of local councillors who make the decision and in my experience it takes them about 60 seconds to pass a recommendation from the relevant council officer especially if it is "technical" (ie they don't understand it) and the neighbours have not complained ).

However, if what you want to do is not messing up a conservation area, a listed building or a perhaps an area of outstanding natural beauty, I would bet that what you want to do it permitted development.
(Messing up the road facing roof slope might well reduce the "curb appeal" of you property - but that is another story).

craftymummy_2

cardew said : If you check some of the Solar firms operating from the Poole/Bournemouth area you will find that firms spring up from the ashes of other solar firms that have ceased trading.

Which is somewhat unfair on the decent MCS registered companies trading from Poole and Bournemouth who have and have never had anything to do with the rogues in the press recently who all seem to come from Ringwood area or Colchester .
Furthermore MCS membership is dependent on companies complying with the REAL assurance ethics code who have released this news regarding the rogues:-
http://www.realassurance.org.uk/news

Hopefully some of the less than ideal solar companies will get banished and the sooner the better .

Cardew

craftymummy wrote: »

cardew said : If you check some of the Solar firms operating from the Poole/Bournemouth area you will find that firms spring up from the ashes of other solar firms that have ceased trading.

Which is somewhat unfair on the decent MCS registered companies trading from Poole and Bournemouth who have and have never had anything to do with the rogues in the press recently who all seem to come from Ringwood area or Colchester .
Furthermore MCS membership is dependent on companies complying with the REAL assurance ethics code who have released this news regarding the rogues:-
http://www.realassurance.org.uk/news

Hopefully some of the less than ideal solar companies will get banished and the sooner the better .

There have been other solar trade associations who have made all sorts of claims. To join you pay them a fee! They have no inspectors, no monitoring, no teeth.

So who and what are 'Real Assurance'? Read their website!

It seems to me that they are yet another organisation without any status trying to set themselves up to make a profit.

I think this quote sums it up:

and take any action necessary against any of the companies which are members of our Scheme.

If they are not members of the scheme???? How are they 'banished'?

What the solar industry needs is Regulation, not voluntary quasi regulatory bodies with no teeth designed to lend an air of respectability to an industry that has made double glazing salesmen seem almost honest.

Doc_N

Just a further thought after reading an article in the Telegraph online recently - there's no guarantee that a future government won't decide to tax the FIT payments. Or for that matter reduce them, or even stop them.

Any of those things would completely wreck the present basis of calculations - it's causing me to think very carefully before making a decision.

John_Pierpoint

As it will be our fellow buyers of electricity who will be paying, with the transfer payments being made by an electricity company; it is a very clever piece of regressive taxation (how do you qualify if you live in a block of flats?) that does not appear in the government accounts.
(Like the other off balance sheet entries) So I cannot see the new government wanting to rattle the bars on any cages if they can avoid it.

BTW: What is the current VAT treatment on the installation? what ever it is that might be going up in the "50 day" budget?

Cardew

Doc_N wrote: »

Just a further thought after reading an article in the Telegraph online recently - there's no guarantee that a future government won't decide to tax the FIT payments. Or for that matter reduce them, or even stop them.

Any of those things would completely wreck the present basis of calculations - it's causing me to think very carefully before making a decision.

I seriously doubt if any Government would renege on an ageement for current users.

However it is quite possible that they might alter conditions for future applicants.

As pointed out in the post above, I am really surprised that there hasn't been more comment about the inherent unfairness of the subsidy for PV FITs.

There is much comment about high energy bills impacting on the less well off in society; yet these subsidies are to be paid for by everyone in higher electricity prices.

To get the subsidy you have to own a house with a largish south facing roof and have the ability to pay, or borrow, £10,000 to £18,000.

Just the sort of scheme in which a pensioner on income support would be able to invest;)

John_Pierpoint

As a country we have made commitments to reduce CO2.
With a near bankrupt government we have little chance that "government" money can be used to make the investment required.
So somehow the government has to force us (the private sector) to meet these obligations or meet them by further cutting everyone's standard of living.
Prohibitive taxes on driving, flying, heating?

craftymummy_2

Cardew ,

The only way you can get any Feed in Tariffs is to use MSC approved installers who must use MCS approved equipment. To be MCS registered you must be a member of the Renewable Energy Association which has strict codes regarding salesmen, promises, business ethical trading etc etc so your comment that they are a worthless profiteering organisation is somewhat mute.
Furthermore MCS contractors are annually inspected and any customer complaints to Real or the MCS will result in a full inquiry. The renewables industry is currently full of have a go heroes which will now change because of the MCS and Real code.
This industry is at the crossroads and there is only one way to turn.
Currently the FIT is available for solar PV but from July 2010 feed in tariffs apply to solar thermal and heat pump installs only. Everybody will want the FITS so must use MCS/Real members so the rogues and cowboys will be excluded. The proposed FIT for solar thermal is likely to be around £4K over twenty years which is not going to be ignored by the paying public.
It is extremely hard to become MCS approved, thats why there are currently less than 300 companies nationally. About 50% fail the application process and the costs for a small business are frightening. Bearing in mind that some MCS members will be booted out for miss selling etc MCS approval is actually a recommendation.
Currently every plumber has solar this and that on their vans but when the public become FIT /RHI aware that is going to change in a big way. The MCS crossbar height will exclude most and customers will become MCS savvy.
When your next out driving count them for yourself , vans with solar on them compared with vans with microgeneration approved . Within a year everybody will now about FITS / MCS and REAL and then the balance of will change.
MCS /Real is comply or die time for the solar industry . And maintaining membership of MCS and REAL is going to be paramount for registered contractors.
Unfortunately the current renewables industry is full of start up companies who think this is the next mobile phone or skateboarding gravy train but without MCS and Real membership they are going to fail.

Cardew

craftymummy wrote: »

Cardew ,

The only way you can get any Feed in Tariffs is to use MSC approved installers who must use MCS approved equipment. To be MCS registered you must be a member of the Renewable Energy Association which has strict codes regarding salesmen, promises, business ethical trading etc etc so your comment that they are a worthless profiteering organisation is somewhat mute.
Furthermore MCS contractors are annually inspected and any customer complaints to Real or the MCS will result in a full inquiry. The renewables industry is currently full of have a go heroes which will now change because of the MCS and Real code.
This industry is at the crossroads and there is only one way to turn.
Currently the FIT is available for solar PV but from July 2010 feed in tariffs apply to solar thermal and heat pump installs only. Everybody will want the FITS so must use MCS/Real members so the rogues and cowboys will be excluded. The proposed FIT for solar thermal is likely to be around £4K over twenty years which is not going to be ignored by the paying public.
It is extremely hard to become MCS approved, thats why there are currently less than 300 companies nationally. About 50% fail the application process and the costs for a small business are frightening. Bearing in mind that some MCS members will be booted out for miss selling etc MCS approval is actually a recommendation.
Currently every plumber has solar this and that on their vans but when the public become FIT /RHI aware that is going to change in a big way. The MCS crossbar height will exclude most and customers will become MCS savvy.
When your next out driving count them for yourself , vans with solar on them compared with vans with microgeneration approved . Within a year everybody will now about FITS / MCS and REAL and then the balance of will change.
MCS /Real is comply or die time for the solar industry . And maintaining membership of MCS and REAL is going to be paramount for registered contractors.
Unfortunately the current renewables industry is full of start up companies who think this is the next mobile phone or skateboarding gravy train but without MCS and Real membership they are going to fail.

I think we all are fully aware of the MCS accreditation, FITs and the proposals for renewable heat iniative next year. However you have totally missed the point.

The discussion was on the merits or demerits of the 7 or 10 year warranty schemes.

All firms make great play of panels have a 10 or 20 year warranty, but the industry standard is to give a 2 year warranty for the system - cables/electronics/mounts etc.

Some offer these offer 7 year or 10 year warranty with a third party as a form of reassurance, but the history of these firms gives cause for concern.

What happens if an inverter costing several hundred pounds fails after 5 years?