STA Publishes Industry Guidance and Solar League Table

THE 1 APRIL 2019 officially marked the end of the solar Feed-in-Tariff, with the scheme closing to new installations on midnight 31 March 2019.

The scheme saw solar PV bring clean power to over 900,000 homes across the UK, as well as to thousands of businesses and community groups. A recent Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy report revealed that 93% of solar users said they were satisfied with the scheme’s performance, and that fewer than 1% of all installations were met with complaint.

According to the Solar Trade Association (STA), there has been confusion in the industry about what happens next. In an attempt to tackle this, the STA set out clear answers to key questions for the industry on its website including, the need to maintain MCS standards, future metering requirements for installers, EPC rules, the new Smart Export Guarantee and what to tell customers.

Solar League Table

The STA has developed an online resource for homes that want to go solar, which includes an online league table for energy supply companies offering incentives to solar customers, and for Smart Export Guarantee offers.

The online resource provides a breakdown of the economics around purchasing a domestic system, helps consumers to navigate the Smart Export Guarantee, and offers answers to frequently asked questions.

Chris Hewett, STA Chief Executive

Chris Hewett, STA Chief Executive said: “We are keeping a close eye on these rapidly moving market developments, and will be helping households to identify the best Smart Export Guarantee offers through a supplier league table.”

The STA advises the industry and all householders investing in solar and battery storage to only use the established quality assurance scheme, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).​

Closure of the Feed-in Tariff

The closure of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) has run into criticism due to news that 60 (>50kW) projects, having registered for the FiT, have been denied, as a result of the cap on the amount of capacity allowed in the >50kW band being reached prior to March 31.

32MW of private and public sector solar projects will miss out on the FiT, as well as 4MW of community energy projects, bringing the financial viability of many of these projects into question.

Chris Hewett said, “Having grown accustomed to the ups and downs of the UK solarcoaster, perhaps it was too much to expect a smooth end to the Feed-in-Tariff. The fact that these projects have been left stranded as a result of arbitrary capacity caps is another blow to an industry that is already struggling with more than its fair share of challenges.”

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