The sluggish UK mid-scale solar market is showing early signs of recovery, according to mounting company Renusol.
Speaking at the Ecobuild exhibition in London, the German firm said it was already seeing improvements in market conditions despite what is perceived as an unattractive feed-in tariff rate.
“We do [expect the market to take off]. We’re seeing signs of it in this year. Last year was a little bit disjointed with the anti-dumping measures that were taken…This year, we’re seeing a steady increase in growth,” said Huw Cooper, sales manager at Renusol UK and Ireland adding that they were seeing “huge demand” for its both residential and commercial products.
“There need to be more incentives for companies to take up the use of solar PV, whether that be tax breaks or other incentive motivations,” he added.
In an address to those attending the Solar Trade Association’s Solar Britain parliamentary event last December, climate change minister Greg Barker said: “There is a lot more we can do to drive deployment in that all-important mid-scale solar sector. If I see a challenge for 2014, it’s to mobilise that mid-scale solar market – that is what I really want to get my teeth into in 2014.”
In order to spur development in the market, Barker proposed measures to remove the regulatory roadblocks that have stagnated the expansion of large rooftop projects.
Barker continued: “In order to address this very real challenge, I am launching a package of measures to bust the key barriers standing in the way of deployment on community projects and industrial rooftops and to drive my vision of an energy sector of the Big 60,000..To help drive mid-size deployment I want to sweep aside unnecessary regulatory barriers to on-site generation.”
Cooper was pleased by the minister’s comments, he said: “We welcome it. Anything to promote the PV market within the UK is a good thing. If we can do it, even better.”