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AUDIO: What does the new Feed-in Tariff mean for households?
Louise Parry
22nd March, 2010
It may have a dull-sounding name, but the Government's new Feed-In Tariff could revolutionise home energy generation. So how does it work, and what's the catch?
Useful links
Department for Energy and Climate Change consultation on Feed-In Tariffs
Solar Century
BiogenGreenfinch
Good Energy
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Users Comments
Re: PODCAST: What does the new Feed-in Tariff mean for households?Having been a renewable energy equipment designer and manufacturer for 35 years I have no complaint with the very generous feed-in tariffs on offer. Unfortunately for small scale hydro and bespoke innovative projects such as water turbine driven heat-pumps, it’s a complete disaster and I am having to abandon over 300 domestic schemes, some of which have been in planning for years.
The problem is that to qualify for FITs all products and installers have to be accredited. OK for the large solar companies with just a few products, but for a business such as mine that build quality bespoke units, it will be totally uneconomic to get each and every product accredited and at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds each. I install what I build and provide a gvarantee of at least 10 years.
Even the traditional waterwheel and historic installations will not qualify for the tariffs. It would appear that only large foreign manufacturers will be able to afford to go through this process and they will offer just a few standardised units which will not make best use of a site, unlike the hundreds of options that I am able to offer. It is also the end of innovation in hydro, since nobody can afford to test a plant for years without being able to sell the power to the grid.
It is with great regret that I am being forced out of the UK domestic market that I have championed for so long. | |
Re: AUDIO: What does the new Feed-in Tariff mean for households?@armstrongevans
I am interested in who you are as I have been attempting similar things but only for the last 7 years. As you say, it’s ok for the larger companies, but if as you say you have the experience of many years then I feel the system is deficient.
Your implied dismay at only foreign manufacturers being able to qualify is something I can associate with.
You may have guessed that I have another idea. It’s one which could complement your fight (to not be forced out of the UK market) and is concerned with generator efficiency. I have a prototype which demonstrates the ability to compensate for the Lenz effect and even in its current state I have seen a reduction of over thirty percent in the input work required to generate a given magnitude of electrical power.
I have tried to get some interest from other parties but to date no-one is remotely interested. Especially as I am an individual with no contacts in the industry.
If you have any thoughts, please post another comment and I will pick up tomorrow or over the weekend.
Jim
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Re: AUDIO: What does the new Feed-in Tariff mean for households?I empathise armstronevans on this, if the assessment of devices system remains as overbearing in rules and inflexible and so expensive as it is, inventors and system developers will continue to be prevented from producing the better, more application appropriate systems, and worst not invent anything at all!
Only big businesses can thrive in this rigged market! |
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