The Renewable Energy Association has called for the government to make policy decisions over feed-in tariffs based on evidence and with growth in mind.

Since the Comprehensive Spending Review there has been uncertainty over the future of solar power as the Feed In Tariff policy was subject to a 10% budget cut.

Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive of the REA said: “What’s happening with the solar tariffs right now is a text-book case study. They have been a success across all sectors, from domestic to commerce, housing associations to the larger field arrays. Jobs are up six – seven fold in ten months. Councils are rising to the challenge of the localism agenda, and looking to get involved in selling power, just as Government recently urged them to. Our members fear a knee-jerk change in policy.”

The REA has written to Energy Minister, Greg Barker, calling for DECC to provide more support for the deployment of solar and to avoid changes to the eligibility criteria for Feed-in Tariffs. They claim changes might undermine confidence in the industry.

Mrs Hartnell said: “Changes to structure of the policy could lead to legal challenges and will have repercussions for investor confidence, reaching far beyond the small-scale renewable energy sector. Government needs private finance to fund £200bn of low carbon energy infrastructure over the next decade. It can ill-afford to scare investors away.”