You Think the FITs Fiasco is Bad? Look what they have done to RHI

[The Solar King]

Those of you like me who do both PV and Thermal will have been thrilled by today's announcement that the domestic side of RHI is to be delayed until summer 2013. It has already been delayed since April 2011!! What a bunch of hand job merchants. They are planning to extend the Renewable Heat Premium Payment. Yippee. They can do this at no cost because the budget is drastically underspent. It worked something like this... I'll give you £300.00 now, but I won't tell you what you will receive for the next twenty years. Little wonder the take up was tiny.

In domestic terms, renewable heat is probably more important than electricity. It is not just solar, but all the other technologies as well. The technologies are of little threat to the energy giants.

I put this down to staff at DECC not being the sharpest knives in the draw, having little understanding of renewables and never ever had the pressure to earn a living. Salary is there every month, even if you are a complete failure, which they are.

There has been no effective incentive programme for solar thermal and other renewable heat technologies since summer 2010. DECC will kill the industry through their own incompetence, ignorance and idleness. I don't believe they are capable of some Machiavellian plan to destroy Renewables, they are simply not clever enough. If you are failing or overspent announce a postponement.

This is just good old government by cock up.

 

[solarsavings]

Meanwhile we're all left with our bits swinging.

 

[Noshocks]

Where does that leave the green deal, I got the impression that there are a lot of companies gearing up for the expected green deal and RHI in October, they have been left high and dry, what a farce.

 

[Glen Powell]

We have been gearing up for the green deal for 3 years and the RHI what seems to be an eternity , they have no idea of the cost implications and therefore too scared to commit, At present I have a number of Biomass deals hanging in the balance based on the RHI but our company will not commit those deals until there is a guarenteed income for our customers, with the delays I am worried still it will not be available and we put this forward to our customers.

 

[BruceB]

I have been pleased with a lot this coalition government has done, but on the PV FIT and RHI issue they really do seem to have kicked the industry and consumers in the goolies. I am registered for heat pumps, solar thermal and solar pv. The main glimmer of light I can see around me is that some small commercial 10kW-20kW PV may remain attractive, but little else.

 

[Earthstore]

Well, I have a letter from the Prime minister (he lives close to me) giving me all the assurances about how green and committed this Government is.
I, as of the rest of you are on here am trying to make renewable's work, trying to earn a living out of this fragmented industry, but I am losing faith in all this as are the public.

 

[jupestar]

green deal what a joke.... the lending rates are supposed to be significantly higher than mortgage rates... who is going to borrow for home improvements on that basis??? basically its a way to get big providers to lend councils money to provide energy solutions for low cost housing... no middle/high income are going to take it and i won't be buyng a house which has a 10k green deal debt on it... the big six will make a killing on it. everyone else will be p!ssing in the wind.

 

[TedM]

The delay to RHI is only half of it.

DECC are now consulting on how to implement a cost control mechanism for RHI. One of the options is to suspend the scheme with zero notice.

This is just a return to the fiasco that was the Low Carbon Building Programme grant scheme when the money ran out at 11:00am on the first day of the month.

 

[Earthstore]

I do wonder how many years the government need to consult on something, only to totally get it wrong at the end of it.

 

[Green]

In many ways it would be better if they'd never promised these schemes; now customer expectations are raised so they're unlikely to commit until the RHI is finalised.

If the cost control mechanism mentioned by TedM is implemented I'll be very cautious getting too involved in the market. 5-6 week sudden notice for the PV FITs was interesting enough but you can't plan to run your business when part of it can be wiped out at a whim.