The main problem with the FIT scheme was that someone didn't keep an eye on what was happening, and kept the subsidy too high for too long. This encouraged profiteering by the installers who charged too much for installs, with the customers knowing that it would still be paid for by the generous subsidies *.
As a result, the pot of money started running out rapidly, and the government was panicked into making a series of large cuts in the subsidy. Every time they made a big cut, demand collapsed until the price of panels came down enough to make it affordable again. This produced a boom-and-bust situation, with most of the installers going out of business. So much for a sustainable UK solar industry.
The FIT is now zero for new installs, and unless you sign up to the right supplier, you don't even get paid anything for any electricity you export. This means that small-scale solar only really makes sense if you expect to use most of the electricity you generate. So it's good for factories and offices, but largely pointless for most houses.
* I am one of the people who paid too much money, but now gets an over-generous FIT in return. I would be well in profit by now if I hadn't had to pay for a replacement inverter.
The main problem with the FIT scheme was that someone didn't keep an eye on what was happening, and kept the subsidy too high for too long. This encouraged profiteering by the installers who charged too much for installs, with the customers knowing that it would still be paid for by the generous subsidies *.
As a result, the pot of money started running out rapidly, and the government was panicked into making a series of large cuts in the subsidy. Every time they made a big cut, demand collapsed until the price of panels came down enough to make it affordable again. This produced a boom-and-bust situation, with most of the installers going out of business. So much for a sustainable UK solar industry.
The FIT is now zero for new installs, and unless you sign up to the right supplier, you don't even get paid anything for any electricity you export. This means that small-scale solar only really makes sense if you expect to use most of the electricity you generate. So it's good for factories and offices, but largely pointless for most houses.
* I am one of the people who paid too much money, but now gets an over-generous FIT in return. I would be well in profit by now if I hadn't had to pay for a replacement inverter.
