Comments for Carbon Commentary

Comment on Is the UK subsidy for solar PV a good use of scarce funds? by Notme

Notme — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:39:37 +0000

Chris

When you think about photovoltaics you have to think about the trajectory of the technology. Not where it is but where it’s moving.

Here is a recent cost estimate for a 12.3 kWp system in Germany – use the google translator if need be.

http://www.photovoltaikforum.com/angebote-f41/bitte-um-anlagenbewertung-12-3-kwp-schueco-yingli–t45842.html

The all in cost (including the 19% VAT) is 40928 Euro – or 3327 per kWp. Your hypothetical system was about 2200 Euro per kWp more than this system.

Why was the system in your example so much more expensive? I figure it’s becasue there isn’t any competition between PV installers in the UK. But why would there be? Oh sure, a few eccentric environmentalists *wink* and the odd richie rich but nobody mainstream is installing PV. I might be completely wrong but I figure a healthy market for PV in the UK you would be able to match the PV system costs in Germany. Do you agree with this logic?

I don’t find your argument against the FiT convincing becasue you aren’t doing what I would consider a fair cost comparison. I think a fair comparison needs to imagine what PV would cost if the UK had a competitive market. Germany provides the best representation of future PV costs that the UK can expect. Why not use their example as a crystal ball? Make sense?

Comment on Is the UK subsidy for solar PV a good use of scarce funds? by Frances

Frances — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:32:33 +0000

Simon
of course you’re right and we must do all of those things but why see this an either/or?. I thought the Gvt wanted to have every home insulated by 2015 (its already supported that in 8 million homes or so) with additional support through PAYS from 2012 precisely to support solid wall insulation and the rest . But I think you’re implying that all the Gvt is doing is bringing in a feed-in tariff for PV. Unfortunately this is the rather silly impression that has been given by Monbiot over the last ten days. Of course, if all the Government was doing was introducing a feed-in tariff for domestic PV that would clearly be absurd but in the grand scheme of things (eg forthcoming CCS levy – incidentally who is complaining about that being taken from “poor” households to subsidise some of the biggest corporations developing that long-term technology) the feed-in tariff is hardly the most ambitious renewables support scheme in the world and so a serious sense of perspective is surely now needed.

Comment on Is the UK subsidy for solar PV a good use of scarce funds? by Simon heath

Simon heath — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:55:14 +0000

Solar pv is really not suited to the uk. It’s much cheaper to buy an A++ rated freezer and get the same carbon or £ savings.

Or should I say it wasn’t. Now you can earn a decent income from the FiT it suddenly has become attractive. With the FiT it makes sense to invest in PV as it pays an (almost) guaranteed return better than most other financial products.

Does that make it good? Not really. But grab it while you can!

The main problem with the goverments strategy us they are too focused on generating energy – not saving it. Rather than buying PV, you could instead spend £15,000 on external wall insulation and drop your energy bill loads. Eg. I worked out by doing some serious draft proofing, fitting external insulation (to a house which already had cavities filled) getting a heat recovery ventilation system my bills would fall 80%. for a cost of about £12,500. Eat your heart out PV!