Renewable Energy Tariffs in Great Britain

• Business Green: Britain Proposes Raising Micro-CHP feed-in tariffs--Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has pledged to increase the feed-in tariff payments to micro-combined heat and power (CHP) systems and examine other regulatory options to increase uptake of the technology in UK properties. . .
• Solar Server: U.K. DECC announces first customers under Renewable Heat Incentive--On January 6th, 2012 the U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced that an umbrella manufacturer and the owners of holiday cottages have become the first two applicants for the nation's Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). . .
• Great Britain: Co-ops call for premium Feed-in Tariff for community energy projects--The Government has been urged to introduce a premium rate under the Feed-in Tariff scheme for community renewable energy schemes. The call was made by the head of Co-operatives UK following the release of a new report that reveals the growing numbers of people who are choosing to start renewable energy schemes in their communities, against all the odds. . .
• New British and Malaysian FIT Programs Launch--Two innovative feed-in tariff programs launched last week. Malaysia methodically stepped into the fray of developing countries moving aggressively toward renewable energy. Meanwhile, despite the Eurozone's debt crisis, strikes, and turmoil in its FIT program for electricity, Britain quietly launched a groundbreaking program to pay feed-in tariffs for renewable heat. . .
• Government to draw up new Feed-in Tariff plans for community PV schemes --Energy Minister Greg Barker has promised to draw up new plans to support community solar PV schemes that have been affected by the Government's decision to bring forward cuts to the Feed-in Tariff on December 12. . .
• Click Green: UK to launch world's first Renewable Heat Incentive--The world’s first Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will be open to applicants from Monday 28 November, providing payments for heat generated from renewable technologies including biomass boilers, solar thermal equipment and heat pumps installed since 15 July 2009. . .
• UK Parliaments approve Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations 2011--The regulations governing the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the new Government financial incentive scheme worth ’860m to promote the uptake of renewable heat, were approved by both Houses of Parliament and by Scottish Ministers on Friday 10th November 2011. . .
• Business Green: Huhne to float German "capacity trigger" to tackle feed-in tariff woes--Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is reportedly set to float the idea of a German-style capacity driven feed-in tariff as he attempts to respond to fierce criticism over proposed cuts to solar incentives. . .
• Guardian: Why I'm lending my voice to community renewable schemes--When you bring together people, communities, like-minded NGOs and companies, really big changes can happen . . .
• Solar power already delivering in Germany, says UK academic--Germany now has 250 times the solar capacity of the UK, which Burnham says is an “appalling statistic”. The technology is delivering benefits for German industry, he says, in the form of lower peak power costs and an economical feed-in tariff (FIT). . .
• Energy Matters: 25,000 Employed In UK Solar Power Sector from Feed-in Tariffs--An analysis carried out by the UK's Renewable Energy Association (REA) has found the UK solar sector now employs around 25,000 people - eight times the number since the country's solar feed in tariff initiative was introduced. . .
• Business Green: EU state aid rules delay Renewable Heat Incentive launch--The scheme mirrors the feed-in tariff renewable electricity incentive mechanism, and offers companies and households guaranteed payments for the heat they generate using low carbon technologies such as ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers, anaerobic digestion systems and solar water heaters, and had been scheduled to launch for business applicants from the start of October. . . But a DECC spokeswoman confirmed that the launch has been delayed by at least a month as the department is still waiting on formal state aid approval from Brussels. . .
• Jeremy Leggett: Green entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett advocates following China and Germany's move towards solar power--British industry must not miss out on this revolution. Neither must our increasingly hard-pressed citizenry, few of whom will want to be paying ever rising Big 6 electricity prices based on coal, gas and nuclear, beyond the UK’s solar grid-parity crossing point. . .
• Ernst & Young Find Fixed Feed-in Tariffs Attractive--The British arm of giant financial consultant Ernst & Young's 2011 issue of its "Renewable energy country attractiveness indices" concludes that fixed feed-in tariffs (FITs) are preferable to premium-based FITs as well as bidding systems. . .
• British FITs for Renewable Heat: The Devil is in the Detail--The RHI is a new government scheme designed to encourage the uptake of renewable heat. The scheme is the first of its kind in the world and will provide £860 million of subsidy between 2011 and 2015, more than double the amount of funding allocated to the Feed in Tariff Scheme. . .
• Guardian: Collusion over nuclear power mirrors the PR disaster of GM crops--The UK government worked hand-in-hand with the nuclear industry to play down the Fukushima crisis: they are treating the public with contempt . . .
• Britain Raises Biogas Tariffs & Revises Solar PV Tariffs--Britain's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has issued new tariffs for solar photovoltaics (solar PV) and biogas under its pioneering feed-in tariff program. The new tariffs, which begin August 1, 2011, culminate a controversial "expedited review" of the tariffs spurred by the rapid growth of solar PV under the program. . .
• Centre for Sustainable Energy: Common concerns about wind power--A research paper commissioned by CSE drawing on peer-reviewed articles and government-funded analysis to address some of the concerns that are expressed in relation to wind power. . .
• Brewery to host UK’s first community-owned power station--If the installation is completed by August 1st this year, all the power generated will qualify for the top rate feed-in tariff 3 of 34p per kilowatt hour, ensuring returns to investors of 4% per annum over the 25 years of the scheme. . .
• Shadow Climate Minister rejects coalition suggestion that Labour mistakes forced solar feed-in tariff review--"The feed-in tariff ... was set up, with Conservative support and Conservative pushing, because Charles Hendry wanted us to go further with bands that went right up to 5MW," he said. "The potential was always in this scheme to see larger developments.". .
• Guardian: UK can learn from Germany's feed-in tariff lessons--German experience can help reverse the UK's poor record on renewables and underpin our green energy policies says Greg Barker the UK's climate change minister. . .
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers: PwC comments on Feed in Tariff changes--"At a high level, a review of FiTs so soon after their introduction does not help the UK's reputation as a location for cleantech investment. "The UK's FiT rates are now among the lowest in Europe, certainly for systems of 150kW upwards. At the same time, system prices in the UK are about the highest in Europe. The result is that the returns are likely to be unattractive for most investors and there is a real risk that the solar market for installations above 150kW will stop in its tracks. It could be the death of large scale installations in the uk. . .
• DECC: Consultation on fast-track review of Feed-in Tariffs for small scale low carbon electricity--This consultation seeks views on proposed bands and accompanying changes to the tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) over 50KW and farm-scale Anaerobic Digestion (AD). . .
• Renewable Energy Focus: More industry reactions to UK renewable heat incentive--Following yesterday’s announcement of the UK renewable heat incentive (RHI), comments from across the industry has been flooding in – most of them positive. . .
• Grenbang: Heat incentive could revolutionise UK--The UK government has today announced the details of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) policy which is set to revolutionise the way heat is generated and used in buildings and homes across the UK. It is the first financial support scheme for renewable heat of its kind in the world. . .
• Britian's Energy Secretary Chris Huhne: Nuclear power may become less attractive option for UK--The Department of Energy and Climate Change has carried out its own projections, which show the UK could – with a massive extra commitment to renewable energy and successful use of carbon capture on a grand scale – meet its target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050 without nuclear energy. . .
• Jeremy Leggett: George Monbiot is wrong. Nuclear power is not the way to fight climate change--Renewable energy is a safe, clean source which will become cheaper as we invest in it . . .
• Guardian: Renewable energy could revive council coffers--Just as poor sanitation and miserable living conditions were the defining problems for cities in that era, so climate change is arguably the great challenge for our generation. And some of the answers look remarkably similar to those that emerged in Chamberlain's day. Once again, cash-strapped local government is set to lead the way. Key are the government's feed-in tariff and renewable heat incentives. . .
• Friends of the Earth: UK Government feed-in tariff review--Friends of the Earth believes that if the government wants to ensure that the benefits of feed-in tariff payments are reaped by households, farmers and communities it could attach planning conditions to large solar array proposals, requiring at least 50% local social ownership. . .
• Great Britain Feed-in Tariffs: Written Ministerial Statement by Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change--I am today announcing the start of the first review of the Feed in Tariffs (FITs) scheme for small scale low carbon electricity generation. Decentralised renewables are vital to green growth and the FITs scheme has proved highly successful at stimulating growth, driving innovation, creating jobs and cutting carbon. . .
• Great Britain's First review of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs)--The Government has announced the start of the first review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme for small scale low carbon electricity generation. . .
• Farming UK: Feed-in Tariff review for on-farm anaerobic digest--An emergency review of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) for farm-based Anaerobic Digestion (AD) was announced by the Government. Campaigners have pushed for changes to payments since the tariff was first announced in February 2010, leaving many renewable energy projects short of finance, and called on Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Barker to review the FIT. . .
• Good Energy: Government announces early review of feed-in tariff --“FITs have proven to be the single most effective way of driving new investment in renewables in the UK. Thousands of households and businesses have signed up as a result of the incentive and Good Energy counts around 10% of these as customers. It is essential that the review builds on this hard work and momentum. The Government’s review represents a crucial window of opportunity to build a revamped FIT system, creating long-term certainty for all consumers and investors. This review could be the key to meeting the UK’s renewable targets and driving down carbon emissions - it’s critical they get it right,” says Good Energy’s CEO, Juliet Davenport. . .
• Farmers Guardian: Is investing in on-farm solar power worthwhile?--“With 75 per cent of our land in agriculture, farmers are well placed to capture renewable natural energy, while maintaining their traditional role in food production,” says Paul Cottington, environment adviser at the NFU. “We have been using solar forever - it’s what makes our crops grow - this is just a different way of using it.” . .
• Farmers Weekly: Farmers in Germany have led the way in the production of biogas over the past decade, and UK farmers could learn from their experience. Paul Spackman reports.--2010 was a record year for the German biogas sector. Some 1200 new plants were constructed last year, taking the country's total number of agricultural and industrial plants to around 6000. . .
• FiT to work: over 17,000 solar jobs could be created in Great Britain in 2011--Recent research conducted by the Solar Power Portal, on behalf of the REA Solar Power Group, shows that the introduction of the feed-in tariff has significantly increased the amount of ‘green’ jobs in the UK. . .
• Farmers’ turbines are to harvest new energy crop--Hundreds of wind turbines could be added to the landscape as farmers seek to reduce their carbon footprint and boost their income. Earlier this year the Government introduced a “feed-in tariff” which pays owners of small-scale renewable energy devices a fixed premium for every unit of electricity generated. The move has encouraged more farmers, including some in West Craven, to apply for permission to install wind turbines on their land. . .
• Farming UK: Herefordshire farms go solar--The first installations are being put on a variety of farm buildings including livestock sheds, cold stores and poultry buildings. . .
• NY Times: Generous Tariff Lures British Farmers Into Raising Solar Power Arrays--Michael Eavis is not your average farmer, but this year he is following the herd. Spurred on by a new tariff that pays individuals to produce their own electricity and sell it to the nation's grid, Eavis has installed 1,100 solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of his dairy barn. . .
• Energy Saving Trust UK: Boost for installers as 80% of farmers want solar by 2013--The survey found that 88 per cent of farmers are currently considering installing renewable systems on their farm, where large buildings can provide ample space for numerous solar panels. . .
• Britain to Abandon RPS & Move to Feed-in Tariffs--In a potentially precedent-setting move for the English-speaking world, Great Britain's ruling coalition proposes abandoning its long-running experiment with so-called "market reforms" of the 1990s. Included in the proposal released by Chris Huhne, Energy and Climate Change Secretary December 16, 2010, is wholesale revision of the country's Renewable Obligation, the British version of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). . .
• British Farmers set to cash in on FIT-driven solar boom--SOLAR energy could be the next major UK cash crop after a survey revealed eight out of ten farmers would consider installing solar photovoltaics on their roofs within the next three years. . .
• The Leader: British FITs Could Power Public Housing--SOLAR panels could be fitted to thousands of council homes in Wrexham at a cost of nearly £30 million. . .
• New Energy Focus: Leave FiTs alone--Author and sustainability advocate Miguel Mendonça outlines the importance of preserving the Feed-in Tariff . . .
• The Independent: Let the power of the sun shrink your energy bills--Record numbers of householders are installing solar panels, according to energy regulator Ofgem. But the increase in popularity is less to do with families turning green and all to do with a government scheme that pays you for generating your own energy. . .
• The Ecologist: Renewables offer cash boost for local communities--Reg Platt, a researcher with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), says renewable energy could not only help people reduce their emissions but also provide a much needed cash boost to local communities. . .
• What's Happened to the Renewable Heat Incentive--Update by Sally Barrett-Williams of The Carbon Catalysts Group . . .
• Telegraph: Renewable energy is the cash crop of the future for British farmers--Visitors are stalking Britain's rural communities in unsuitable footwear, offering farmers the deal of a lifetime. They're not pushing a wonder fertilizer or trying to side-step their local farmers' market in the hunt for a new superfood, but offering help to cash in on the new gold rush - solar power. . .
• Britain Proposes Feed-in Tariffs for Renewable Heat--Solar Domestic Hot Water and Pipeline Injection of Biogas Included . . .
• New Conservative British Government Agrees on More Feed-in Tariffs--Less than two months after Britain's Labour Party launched its highly regarded feed-in tariff program, the newly elected conservative government has announced the program will be expanded. . .
• The Guardian: Conservative manifesto plan to extend feed-in tariff in attempt to phase out the Renewables Obligation--Writing in response to inquiries from BusinessGreen.com about the finer detail of the Conservative's renewable energy policy, a spokeswoman confirmed the party would like to see the Renewable Obligation and system of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) replaced with an extended feed-in tariff scheme. . .
• Friends of the Earth: Clean Energy Cash Back program launched--Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign for the payment scheme says it could make small-scale green electricity technologies an attractive investment for home-owners, housing associations and some businesses, cutting energy bills and creating new jobs in the clean energy sector. . .
• Growing Backlash to Monbiot Attack on Solar PV--There is a growing backlash against Cambridge professor and Guardian columnist George Monbiot's unprecedented attack on solar PV. Monbiot's attack from the left blindsided renewable advocates who frequently find themselves fending off un-informed attacks from the right.
• Britain Launches Comprehensive System of Feed-in Rates--In a truly groundbreaking move for the English-speaking world, Britain's Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has released a full suite of renewable energy tariffs that go into effect in April. . . Britain will become the first country in the world to offer a comprehensive system of tariffs for renewable heat, including tariffs for solar domestic hot water and ground-source heat pumps among others. . .
• We Actually Can?! by Miguel Mendonça--When first writing on this site a few years ago, and advocating the feed-in tariff policy for market development of renewables, there were no such laws in Britain or North America. They are now coming into being, and this is in part due to the fact that initially small, but ever-snowballing groups of people, made it their business to push for legislative progress. . .
• Britain to Launch Innovative Feed-in Tariff Program in 2010--They said it couldn't be done, but Britain has risen to the challenge. Britain's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband has released long-awaited details on the Labour Government's feed-in tariff policy. . .
• What would Adam Smith have said? about Feed-in Tariffs (PV Magazine 1/2009)
• British Feed-in Tariff Policy Becomes Law--Was Once Unthinkable
• Britain's Carbon Trust Says FITs Simplest
• Feed-in Tariffs in Britain: Ideological Breakthrough
• IEA: Feed-in Tariffs More Effective and Cheaper than Quotas for Renewable Energy
• Ernst & Young Find Feed-in Tariffs Cheaper Than Trading System
• A Scottish marine FIT submission by David Toke (2008)
• Making the UK Renewables Programme FITTER by David Toke for the World Future Council (2007)
• Britain's Renewable Energy Association urges the government to adopt feed-in tariffs
• Government U-turns on microgeneration
• British Government backflip on solar panel policy
• Friends of the Earth Calls for British Feed-in Tariffs to meet Britain's Renewables target (2008)
• Briefing Note: What is a feed-in tariff and why does the UK need one to support renewable electricity? FOE (2008)
• Feed-In Tariffs & Long Beach: The English Take on Solar Power 2007 by Miguel Mendonca, World Future Council
• Political climate is changing faster than our prime minister: LibDems' green proposals show up the paucity of the Labour and Tory visions says Guardian
• No policies, no cash. The result: missed targets says the Guardian
• Why Germans laugh at British boasts of leading the world on climate change says the Guardian
• Germany sets shining example in providing a harvest for the world says the Guardian
• The Irony of U.S. and UK Renewable Policies by Craig Morris
• Miguel Mendonca's Open Letter to British Secretary of State on Feed-in Tariffs
• British MPs in Commons Laud German Feed Law
• Catalysing Innovation for Sustainability Another British Report Suggesting Feed-in Tariffs (December 2006)
• British Academics Call for Feed Law, October 20, 2006
• Britain's Stern Report Says Feed Laws Work Best for Renewable Energy
• British Conservatives Begin Discussion of Feed Law
• Comments by Rudolf Rechsteiner on Britain's Renewable Obligation and Feed Laws
• Carbon Trust Calls for Urgent Changes to Britain's Renewable Obligation
• Are Green Electricity Certificates the Way Forward asks David Toke, University of Birmingham
• Wind power in the UK: how planning conditions and financial arrangements affect outcomes by David Toke
• Comparison of Feed in Tariff, Quota and Auction Mechanisms to Support Wind Power Development by Lucy Butler and Karsten Neuhoff, University of Cambridge--A Review
• Effectiveness through Risk Reduction: A Comparison of the Renewable Obligation in England and Wales and the Feed-In System in Germany by Catherine Mitchell, University of Warwick

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