Renewables Obligation Banding Review - Solar

[The Solar King]

This has finally been announced today.

Whilst not operating anywhere near this scale, I know there are contributors to the forum whom this will impact on.

Attached is the DECC document and the response from my trade body the STA who have been working hard on this one. A bit of a curates egg, good in parts.

 

[SpitfireW'sale]

A brief summary of the changes on the DECC web site:

Solar and biomass support packages published - Department of Energy and Climate Change

 

[Worcester]

Don't you love the spin!!!

"In order to incentivise solar projects on buildings, building-mounted solar PV projects will receive higher rates than ground-mounted projects. This will encourage the installation of solar projects at large factory or warehouse buildings."

i.e we only cut it from 2 ROC's to 1.7, wheres for groundmount we cut it to 1.6 !!!

 

[SpitfireW'sale]

Would you agree in most cases the cost per kWP is higher for ground mount than roof mount because of higher material cost, and ground preparation costs? Would this extra cost be equalled by higher scaffold / H&S costs for on roof commercial?

It seems the reason this has been done is to avoid land being taken up by big solar farms, and encourage the industry to utilise existing "dead" space i.e. big roof tops. This seems sensible, but I haven't heard people lobbying for it to happen. Even so, Mr Barker has claimed he has "listened to this industry".

 

[The Solar King]

There are two distinct issues here.

Large roof mount was falling between the two stools of FITs and ROCS. The new proposals give more options in this area. The announcement on CRC may help in terms of making investment more attractive.

Those involved in utility scale PV had been pressing for 1.8 ROCS which would give full viability and still make it cheaper than other technologies. DECC originally proposed 1.5 ROCS.
I suspect that all the announcement on utility scale will do is delay some deployment. Some will still go ahead. The crunch in generation is around 2018. As utility scale PV can be deployed quickly compared to other forms of generation, it may be the get out of jail card when which ever government it is starts panicking about capacity. The irony is it will probably cost them more in terms of subsidy than building up capacity now.

The comments from the National Grid reflect just who owns it. I love the damning with faint praise by Ray Noble.