DECC have published the official response to the Consultation on the Comprehensive Review of the Feed in Tariff Phase 1 – solar PV tariffs

DECC this morning published the official government response to the Consultation on the Comprehensive Review of the Feed in Tariff Phase 1 – solar PV tariffs.

The salient points affecting the solar industry are as follows:

1) Tariff rates – The proposed new Feed in Tariff rates as set out on our Feed in Tariff page will be effective for all installations registered from 3rd March 2012 (assuming the government do not win the right to appeal the Supreme Court ruling).

2) Energy efficiency requirement – Effective from April 1st 2012, households will need to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of Level D or above in order to be eligible to receive the Feed in Tariff.

3) Multi-installation tariffs – the threshold at which multi-installation tariff rates would apply should be increased from more than one PV installations to more than twenty five.

These new requirements 2) and 3) will come into effect for new PV installations with an eligibility date on or after 1 April 2012.

The Solar Trade Association have published a summary of the Phase 1 review which is available to read or download here.

Two further consultations are also currently underway:

ii) A consultation on solar PV cost controls, which proposes an ambitious programme of six monthly degression for solar PV tariffs. This aims to remove the need for emergency reviews, and help to keep the long-term costs of supporting solar PV down, increasing the number of people able to benefit from FITs over time. The consultation closes on 3 April.

(iii) A consultation on tariffs for FIT technologies other than PV, and other scheme administration issues. This consultation closes on 26 April.

We will keep you updated with further details as soon as the information is released.