Today, (25th January) three Court of Appeal judges upheld an earlier ruling that the Government acted illegally when it cut the Feed-in Tariff for solar panels before a consultation on the subject had concluded. As a result, the higher tariff of 43.3p has been reinstated for all installations before 3 March 2012, when the new rate of 21p will now come into effect.
Kevin Eadie for CR Smith said:
“The government has been forced to reinstate the 43p feed-in tariff and on the face of it, that seems like good news for business and for those who want to press ahead with their plans for installing solar panels. But there is still uncertainty; the Government might still appeal.
“Our main concern remains the stability of the solar PV market. Going back and forth over the tariff does not address the original issue, which was that the government ‘pot’ was running dry. The stop start nature of the market over recent months also puts unnecessary pressure on businesses and their operations and could needlessly dissuade people from using this very effective ‘green’ technology.
“We see the solar panel business as a long term venture on our part, and it is vital that the industry builds its reputation on robust regulations and good quality workmanship, not uncertainty and indecision.”