Feed-In Tariff

The feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme is a Government backed initiative which offers financial incentives to both domestic and commercial property owners to invest in solar photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable energy systems.

Under the scheme you are paid for every unit of energy you generate (whether you use that energy or not), and these payments are index-linked and guaranteed for 20 years.

The initiative was launched in 2010 and it has resulted in tens of thousands of PV installations on domestic and commercial properties across the UK as people look to take advantage of the financial returns the scheme offers, as well as benefit from reduced energy bills and the protection against future energy price rises that a PV system offers.

FiT Rate Changes

In light of the higher than anticipated number of installations that the feed-in tariff prompted, and taking into account the falling installation costs, The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published a review of FiTs in February 2012. In order to ensure that the allocated budget go further, the review proposes linking the tariff to the number of systems installed.

On May 24th 2012 the government announced the results of this review and published revised FiT for solar PV effective from August 1st 2012. These have since been revised again, and the rates effective from 1st November 2012 are shown below (all rates are per kWh).  Future reductions can be viewed here.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to receive the FiT, you need to adhere to certain criteria:

• Your installer must be accredited with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).  Green Planet are fully MCS accredited.
• Your panels must also be MCS approved.  Green Planet use high-efficiency PV modules supplied by the leading manufacturers.
• Your system size must be less than 4kWp to qualify for the highest tariff rate. Most domestic systems are well within this limit.
• Your energy supplier must offer FIT payments. This is a legal requirement for the big energy suppliers, but some of the smaller providers may not, see the full list.
• From 1 April 2012, homes must comply with minimum energy efficiency standards and obtain an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). See below for more information.

Energy Performance Certificates

• From 1 April 2012, only homes that have an energy performance certificate (EPC) at grade D or above will receive the full feed-in tariff
• EPCs give an overview of how energy efficient the property is. It shows how your home ranks on a chart of seven coloured bands, ranging from A (the most efficient, in dark green) to G (the worst, in red).

Green Planet will arrange for your property to be inspected by an assessor prior to any installation, and in the event where actions are required to raise the efficiency of the property we will offer the relevant advice and assistance.