New solar installations halve for second consecutive year
By Paul Homewood
From The Energy Advocate:
New solar power installations in the UK have halved for the second consecutive year as a result of the government’s decision to cut green subsidies in a move to protect consumers from increasing energy bills.
Europe’s solar trade body, SolarPowerEurope, said Britain had the slowest growth of the world’s top 20 solar markets and the lowest chances of growth across Europe in the coming years.
In 2015, solar capacity was at 4.1GW falling to 1.97GW in 2016 and 0.95GW last year.
The UK government cut subsidies for households installing solar panels by 65% in 2015, during which time the then energy and climate secretary Amber Rudd said: “My priority is to ensure energy bills for hardworking families and businesses are kept as low as possible.”
Furthermore, documents from 2017’s Autumn Budget revealed the government would not introduce any new “green taxes” until 2025 to protect consumers from rising energy bills.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Will politicians in authority now note that, before accepting new equipment, gadgets like this, including renewables, independent scientific and economic assessment of effectiveness, value for money and durability are essential.
Ed Miliband et al omitted these vital precautions, also re Climate Change Acts, near-useless and financially catastrophic, a complete waste.
RegenSW’s renewable energy progress report for 2017 is now 10 months overdue. I wonder why that could be? No progress to report? Too embarassing to report?
Are they subject to the FOIA?
The government may have cut subsidies but there is still a requirement from Local Authorities for any developer no matter what size to make provision for CO2 reduction. My LA have just issued this draft document which soon will be in force:
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sitedocuments/Planning-and-Building-Control/Planning-Policy/Sustainable-and-Retrofitting/draft_sc_checklist_spd.pdf
I had to complete a similar exercise for a planning application in Bristol for the change from a 4 bed flat to two 2 bed flats. The creation of a new dwelling required 9 PVs to be included shared between the two units. And they wonder why housing at the lower level is so expensive that first timers can’t reach the first rung.
Small wonder that housebuilders prefer executive 4/5 bedroom houses with a higher margin than starter homes.
Common sense breaking out at last. I REMEMBER VISITING MY HOME TOWN OF NORDEN IN LANCASHIRE IN POURING RAIN ONE AUGUST DAY AND SEEING A SIGN FOR NORDEN SOLAR. It was so Monty Python. We have solar at my house in san diego where it actually makes some sense but only because of the high electricity prices.
It’s so nice to have good news; rather than scaremongering or attempted scaremongering.
Every cloud …. means fewer subsidies paid out.
the government would not introduce any new “green taxes” until 2025
Someone should tell them their mandate runs out years before that.