The government’s decision to remove support for large-scale solar under the renewable obligation from April 2015 is ‘difficult to understand’, according to leading members of the UK solar industry.
The government’s surprise decision to single out solar PV for special treatment has left the industry reeling. Below, industry leaders reject government’s argument that the decision was necessary to preserve the budget and criticise the manner in which the news was delivered.
Those in the solar sector liaising with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have expressed particular frustration due to the lack of communication from the department. According to the STA, at no point did DECC approach the association to express its concerns with the fast growth of the solar sector.
Another area of serious concern expressed by the sector is the lack of action taken by DECC to help ‘mobilise the mid-scale solar market’. Below, experts explain why key barriers to rooftop solar deployment remain despite government’s attempts to get the sector moving:
Additional reporting by Fergus March