Despite the calls for an end to the confusion regarding the state of the UK Feed in Tariff scheme for PV caused by the current government’s decision to change tack mid way into the promised returns. The UK Court of Appeals failed to provide any direction or decision in Friday’s hearing and have postponed the decision for at least one week. The government is keen to be allowed to appeal the recent court decision that the method the government chose to change the FiT scheme was illegal as the cut off point for the consultation occurs after the proposed date of change.
There are companies whose future depends on these
decisions but they tend to be ones that had over burdened themselves assuming
the FiT would stay as it was despite concerns at the lack of money for a couple
of months. Although the changes will keep those at the high risk end of the
financial market it is unlikely to kill the entire industry as some would like
to suggest. The success in Germany in 2011 following the reduction of their own
subsidies is a more likely benchmark to
suggest the PV industry will continue to flourish in the UK, albeit at a slower
rate than financiers would have wished for.
For now the waiting game continues and the doubt and
confusion will certainly scare off many investors hoping to make a quick and
above inflation profit. Those in it for the long term will find that PV will
continue in the UK but it will be a while before the dust settles from this
bottle neck of a decision and only the committed remain.
