A few months I ago, a wrote a blog looking at feed-in tariffs, the rate at which excess energy produced by renewable sources such as solar or wind power can be sold back to the national grid.From next April, when the tariff is introduced, those that produce their own energy will be able to earn some extra cash while providing clean resources for the rest of the population. As I said back in March, as long as the rate is sustainable in the long term, it can only be a good thing.
But last week, I received an email from YouGen, a site that provides information on renewable energy services. Here's the gist of what it said:
“As you know, anyone who generates their own renewable electricity using wind, solar or hydro will be rewarded with a guaranteed rate of income for each kilowatt hour (kWh) they generate from next April, thanks to the feed-in tariff. That's great news.
You might not know that the tariff rates for existing microgenerators will be significantly lower than those offered to new generators. We think this is a kick in the teeth to renewable energy pioneers who took the risk and invested in a new and uncertain market.”
It's quite a difference too. Those with existing setups will receive a rate of 9p per kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity generated, against 36.5p per kWh those who install between now and April 1st."
This is simply unfair. We should be going out of our way to reward these early adopters, because without them the scheme as a whole wouldn't have been possible. They've gone through the process to make it easier for everybody else, and to have their rewards cut because of it just doesn't seem on.
YouGen are planning to launch a campaign against this if they receive enough support. Drop them an email here or visit their blog to give them your backing – with a bit of luck, it could well make the difference.
Have a great week.
Edwin
2 comments:
This is a great site that you have here. The Internet needs sites like yours that preach to others about the importance of going green. I have a site myself where anyone can express their opinion towards controversial issues. Recently, we came up with a debate topic about going green and I wanted to inform you about it:
http://www.debateitout.com/should-corporations-be-required-to-go-green.html
Take care. Keep up the good work. Maybe we can do a link exchange.
Sincerely,
Jason
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You can search and compare options at FreeCleanSolar.com . They have a directory of local solar panel installers representing most every solar panel brand including Sunpower, Kyocera, Sharp, Evergreen and Sunwize. You can also find information about state solar rebates, federal tax credits, solar financing and leasing, system costs and the benefits of going solar. The bottom line is that many homeowners and business owners can afford solar power today.
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