The initial three months of 2015 will see a record-breaking utility-scale solar PV installation spree going on at UK, reports IHS.
This is because developers will be in a hurry to finish projects before April 1, 2015 as ground-mount PV systems larger than 5 MW will not receive subsidy under Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC) scheme, from that date.
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This will see an installation of additional 1.3 GW of utility-scale solar to UK’s clean energy segment.
On considering Q4 of 2014 and Q1 of 2015 together, almost 1.8 GW of solar PV capacity will be added in the UK. over these six months.
However, for 2014 IHS has revised its forecast down from 3.2 GW to 2.8 GW, which represents the largest in Europe.
This rush experienced is creating a block that will cause disappointment for one-in-five proposed solar developments. Some 20 percent of the 6.2 GW of solar projects in the pipeline will not proceed due to refusal of permit applications in the current scenario.
After April 1 2015, large-scale solar PV installations will compete with onshore wind projects for subsidy money allocated in the new Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.
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As a result, many developers will shift focus to 5 MW projects eligible for the ROCs and commercial rooftop developments due to these difficulties in obtaining subsidy for large-scale solar installations.
Companies such as Lightsource Renewable Energy have already begun making profits in the commercial rooftop sector.
UK. solar industry can evolve satisfactorily along these lines as suggested by potential to offer new financing models to customers and building owners.
Sabeena Wahid