The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published the latest solar photovoltaic installation figures for 2012, which show that from January 1-8, only 532 solar PV installs were registered for the feed-in tariff scheme.
The dramatic slowing of installations reflects the current uncertainty that is engulfing the UK solar industry, as the Government appeals a High Court decision that deemed proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff as “legally flawed”.
The graph above illustrates the remarkable drop-off in installations following the December 12 deadline and the subsequent High Court ruling and Government appeal.
Of the installs registered in 2012, 99 percent are sub 4kW systems, adding 1,698kWp of capacity to the grid. The dominance of small-scale installations may reflect some confidence returning to the market following DECC’s statement that: “The tariff rate for PV installations less than or equal to 4kW will not fall below 21p for installations with an eligibility date between 12th December 2011 and March 31, 2012.”
However, if we compare this figure to that of the month before, when more than 29MW was added to the register, it is clear that the market has begun to slow down as a result of current uncertainty.
It is predicted that the UK solar market will continue to stagnate until the legal battle currently being fought is resolved. Until that point installers cannot confidently quote exact feed-in tariff figures to potential customers.
