date: 20/11/2008

Feed-in Tariff changes announced

Across the UK's business sector the use of wind and solar schemes have been, at best, scarcely implemented. Companies that have adopted green technology have not done so as a financial saving, but rather through embracing positive corporate social responsibility. However, in today's poor economic climate this simply is not enough to change the way we produce our electricity.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary - Ed Milliband announced last month that feed-in tariffs (FiT) for consumers and businesses producing electricity through renewable means would be guaranteed a premium price by the National Grid.

Currently energy produced locally is fed back to the grid and bought for approximately 50% of the rate they sell (approximately 5p per unit: 2008). This has meant inflated payback times for the systems restricting the implementation of the technology across many sectors.

In countries such as Germany where the use of renewable energy has been widely embraced, the feed-in tariff is four times that of the market sell rate (approximately 35 per unit: 2007).

Ed Miliband commented:

"I believe guaranteed prices for small-scale electricity generation, feed-in tariffs, have the potential to play an important role, as they do in other countries."

The feed-in tariffs are set to be implemented in 2010's Energy Bill and with government funding grants still available for the installation costs and rising energy costs now is the time to seriously consider both the long-term financial, environmental and social benefits of producing green energy for your business.

Batchelor Electrical is the UK's recognised electrical installer for Alwitra Evalon solar roofing (shown in picture above) which combines a single ply flexible roofing membrane together with advanced slim solar panels.