It has been estimated that at least 16 solar-farm projects were completed before the 1st August deadline; the date after which the government announced it would be slashing the ‘feed-in tariff’ incentives available for larger developments. image expired

The photovoltaic arrays on agricultural land, which typically cover three to 12 hectares, boast a total capacity of around 46 megawatts and have been hailed by the farming community as a great success, exemplifying the successful diversification of farming in the UK. They have been described by the NFU as “groundbreaking”. Furthermore, six solar parks have started generating on brownfield sites, adding another 12.9 MW to the total output of the farm-based arrays.

These newly-installed solar farms are said to generate enough electricity to power 12,000 homes. However, the coalition government’s deadline is predicted to make large-scale solar developments unviable in the future.

Having introduced feed-in tariff incentives last April, the government claims that reducing the tariffs for large scale solar operations is now necessary to protect the money available for small-scale projects and other renewables in the range of technologies supported under the feed-in tariff scheme. The decision was made after the government found that uptake of large-scale solar farms was much higher than anticipated.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker commented on the government restrictions, “I want to drive an ambitious roll out of new green energy technologies in homes, communities and small businesses and the FIT scheme has a vital part to play in building a more decentralised energy economy. Without action the scheme would be overwhelmed.”

A handful of sites have been unable to complete their final planned capacity in time, however, the developers may be able to benefit from a legislative ‘grace period’ to finish construction, the NFU has revealed today.

In a statement, the union commented, “The enthusiasm shown by the UK's solar power innovators demonstrates the substantial market potential of the land-based sector to supply renewable electricity and contribute to low-carbon economic growth, even under the toughest financial and logistical conditions of adhering to a tight government-imposed timetable."

Nevertheless, critics of the government’s decision have purported that the money for the feed-in tariffs comes from power companies, rather than a finite government budget, and there is therefore little truth in the argument that large-scale schemes will 'drain' funds from smaller-scale installations.