Latest news on FITs ...

[JohnS]

You will be pleased therefore to hear that we have decided that if a Conservative Government is elected, we would ensure that micro-generation equipment installed before feed-in tariffs come into effect will nevertheless be entitled to the same terms as new installations.

And who trusts a politician, especially before an election ?  ?  ?  ?

Half of me says that there is a valid point in the new incentives being for new installations and on the other hand half of me says that existing installations should be no worse off than before.  It is becoming obvious that some existing installations are going to be much worse off than before.  Guy's watermill comes to mind.  And to me that is wrong.

I consider that the big flaw of the 1 February proposal is the low minimum value for export of 3p.  It stinks of the DNOs and power companies having lobbied hard.  Whilst 3p might be a reflection of the minimum wholesale price, the truth of the situation is that my export will go to my next door neighbour with little or no distribution loss and earn someone 12p plus.  The export price should have been set much higher, more like normal tariff less 3 or 5p, even if the FIT stayed nearer the original proposal.  That way existing small scale generators would have less to complain about.

My installation is going ahead next month and I am seriously looking into the option of either not claiming the miserly export tariff or paying for an export meter myself if it allows me to stay on my fixed price gas tariff until next year as that is 1.1p per kwh cheaper than current prices.

I am waiting for Ebico and others to give information on what will happen from 1 April.

John

[martin]

Hendry is "My area" MP, and always pretty prompt in firing off glib replies to emails, I've just had an interchange of emails with him on the subject of poultry beak trimming - strong on obfuscation, prevarication and being downright arrogantly patronising (also pretty good at claiming expenses) - trust or vote for him? Not on your superannuated duck house mate! 
As the subject of politics has reared it's ugly head, I append the illustration below purely in a spirit of frivolous levity............
(EVERYTHING is political anyway! )

[guydewdney]

Just being devils advocate

"entitled to the same terms as new installations"

could this be translated to "must comply with the same regs as new installs, therefore if your old system isn't certified, then you dont get any money"?

[martin]

the resounding clang of a nail being hit firmly on the head!

[Moxi]

Since politics are creeping in (I knew they would..... ) Helen Jones' responce to my letter regarding FITS and early adopters was also full of non commital statements 

I wonder if we should campaign to get MP's salary's linked to performance ?...........................................


on second thoughts perhaps not I couldn't sleep at night thinking of all those poor starving MPs without there TV's duck houses CCTV and personal security guards   

What a farce!

Moxi

[desperate]

It does occur to me though that, if one was trying to create a scheme that would encourage people to take up renewable energy schemes, why would you spend money on existing installations? Ok I guess you would have some benefit from the recipient talking to their mates about the financial gains, but would that have as large an impact as a new tarriff? On the other hand why anyone, assuming they have a safe system, cant sell their surplus energy for the going rate seems absurd.

I propose that we should list out all the disadvanteges of the FIT scheme and methods to rectify the problems, and then get a letter on behalf of all of us and mail it to every MP, and the sooner the better, they are all about to ask us for a job

What do you think

To kick things off, I would scrap the MCS accreditation, and use the local Building control and self certification as already happens with gas and sparks, to ensure quality control.

What next??

Desperate

[Moxi]

I think most people's issue is that it leaves them worse off than what they have currently with their DNO.  If you get X per kWh now why should that change to a lesser sum M per kWh after the introduction of FITS?

It would have been better to maintain the current rates to existing generators whilst allowing new build to take advantage of the FIT, at least then early adopters wouldn't have the added insult to injury of getting even less than they started out with!

I doubt those making the decissions really ever grasped how many people had got out and done their own thing.

moxi

[noah]

Personally my decision to go ahead with expensive refit to my site so that elec is produced rather than compressed air was predicated on the assumption that FITs were on the way. When I made the decision the current return was about 9p tops (one roc + grid sale ) which hardly made it worthwhile. To then be denied the FIT is a low blow.

[noelsquibb]

I propose that we should list out all the disadvantages of the FIT scheme and methods to rectify the problems, and then get a letter on behalf of all of us and mail it to every MP, and the sooner the better, they are all about to ask us for a job

Learnt the hard way that 'consultation' is just a form of divide and rule.

They identify and pick the brains of the cutting edge knowledge and ensure their evil legislation 'covers' anything you've helpfully pointed out.....


Is it legal to generate and sell direct to a neighbour ?

And is it legal to set up an 'industrial' scheme that uses lots of leccy ( say just over 50kw continuous) so a fairly cheap tariff  and have a 'generating station'  not too far away, that's getting err slightly more for the FIT ?

noel

[desperate]

Noel said


Learnt the hard way that 'consultation' is just a form of divide and rule.

Hi Noel, hows it bubblin

I'm not talking consultation here, more along the lines of,

Dear the right honerable Waste of a skin,
 We the undersigned nutters and bodgers demand that you make some noise about reforming this dogs dinner of MCS paper pushing and bovine faeces. Unless we hear some very real plans to save the planet instead of just talk and waffle, our scrawny little crosses will not appear anywhere near your name on judgement day.

Yours N&Bs

Or something similar

Desperate

[renewablejohn]

noelsquibb

We normally install renewable energy generators between 250 and 600 kw depending on site needs and the ability to export to the grid. The normal 3 phase high voltage line will export upto 250kw subject to your local DNO approval.

I think the simple way around this FIT's debacle is to form a generating cooperative and exploit the over 50kw provisions.

There is also grants available for this size of operation if you jump over the right hurdles. The round 6 grant for CHP is open at the moment upto the end of March for 40% of the approved costs upto a max of 500k.

[noelsquibb]

Hey Desp,

They will give you weasel words like  'we fully understand your concerns and they will be addressed'
They do it with a smile and a firm handshake and they never actually lie. That seems to be their only skill.

And its not bubblin too well - bu66ered my back rolling some big old bits of ash, only hurts if I move, hence the string of lightweight responses here ....  kind of you to ask though.  Trust you are in working order ?

renewablejohn

I do wonder about a serious attempt at powergeneration as the old industrial/mining site here could possibly stand it.
Being national park theres no chance of development and being a very quiet bit of valley I couldnt use machinery that made any noise but I do have some existing old mine buildings and an 11kv overhead line crossing the site.
Knowing close to nothing about managing electricity and being in awe of peeps like outtasight, probably makes me an ideal candidate then.
I dream about growing algae on the settling ponds and burning the fuel extracted from it, to run a steam turbine but there are, apparently, still a few details to sort out ...
Better start off with something a bit more basic like the hydro in the vortex chamber.

In the short term though, I could see a wheeze to spin meters and harvest the difference in tarrifs.
Presumably theres some inspection of the generating plant and a sign off by someone certified but once theyve gone,
all youve got to do is connect the 6p a unit incoming power to the 25p a unit export meter and earn £ 9.50 an hour /
£83, 220 a year.   Spin the generating plant whenever anyone wants to inspect.

How much is a 50 kwh genny ?  


one of the mine sheds -

[noah]

See my post under Hydro re new association for Microhydro.

[Ted]

Small update on the Conservatives Charles Hendry front.

The Conservatives say they will published an Energy Green Paper with details of proposed changes to FITs.

http://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=3617&section=Policy

[rhys]

Thats a start - now all we need is for them to promise to cut the "paperwork quango" MCS in favour of  a standard CE or other existing product standard, and leave the quality of installation to be to the same standards as current ROC installations.