Remember that song by the Walker Brothers? Of course, it ain’t true – it’s gonna go on shining and shining and shining. What they should have written was that the Government subsidies for solar PV aren’t going to go on forever, but they couldn’t get the words to fit the melody so they compromised.
In fact the Government subsidy regime is closing for new installations on 1st April next year. I am talking about new here. So, that means that any estate that gets its solar PV registered with Ofgem before 1st April next year gets locked into receipt of the 20-year index-linked subsidy for every kWh generated or exported to the grid; whereas any estate that gets it done after 1st April next year gets no subsidy at all. It does make a difference to the net benefit.
A lot of schools and rural estates, with a bit of prompting from us, have recognised the significance of this and we are now working with them to get their solar installations done before the deadline. Over the Summer holidays we’re organising the installations at Repton College, Pocklington School, Solihull School and Barlavington Estate, and several others are in the pipeline for later in the year.
There’s quite of lot of detail to be worked through: assessing the estate for the best sites, scoping the right array for each site, securing local grid operator permission to install, tendering for installers, commissioning, registering the installations with Ofgem. However, recognising that most of our clients have neither the time nor the in-house knowledge, we arrange all of that.
If you’re interested, it’s not too late to make the most of free sunshine.
♫♬Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me ♫♫
