The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have released the detail of their UK Solar PV Strategy document. Describing it as a Roadmap to a Brighter Future, Greg Baker, the minister for the department, revealed the document at the Solar Energy UK exhibition last week.
The main points of the document, which is just part one of a larger strategy due to be released in the future are making solar PV cost effective, allowing it to be competitive alongside other energy generation technologies; supporting the industry in ensuring that solar delivers real carbon reduction; ensuring solar projects are appropriately sited and ensuring that solar developments are assessing their impact on grid systems and financial incentives.
Barker stated in his speech that the government has been listening to the solar industry and their concerns about the need for a clear direction and he believes that this roadmap delivers this. He would like to see the industry work in partnership with the government, especially over the next six months as the strategy is fine tuned before being launched in full. He describes the industry as undergoing major changes, particularly when it comes to falling costs and increased capacity.
With concern in the industry focusing on the failure of the feed-in-tariff to adequately stimulate the market, Barker stated that regulatory barriers will be broken down to improve activity in the sector and incentives will be looked at.
