The decision - which has caused an outcry in the renewable energy industry –is the right one according to David who says that solar power can now hold its own against oil, gas and conventional electric competitors.
“The tariffs are still available until March so if you sign up for a solar system before then you are still eligible but after that it will have to stand on its own two feet. To be honest the time is right for that to happen. Solar power isn’t a Cinderella-style operation any more. It’s a real contender and one with a better, cheaper long-term future than fossil-fuel or even nuclear generated power,” Jones said.
Hafod, which was founded in Denbigh by Jones, a graduate in renewable energy, and his father, Richard, in 2010, has grown to employ nine people and has a turnover of £1.5 million.
Initially solar panel installation made up over 80 percent of their business but gradually there was a move towards air and ground-source systems which overtook solar with over 60 percent of Hafod’s business.
Earlier this year they were named as Wales’s top Renewable Heating Initiative installer, a field which covers air and ground-source as well as biomass systems, but solar is bouncing back.
In the last 12 months increasingly efficient and cheaper solar panels, often combined with sophisticated battery technology, have seen solar energy become more popular again.
There has still been predictable opposition to the government‘s plans from the renewables sector and Frank Gordon, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, said the planned change would be "very damaging" for the industry.
"Our members are very concerned," he said. “There are thousands of small-scale installers, 40 percent of whom say they could exit the solar installation market.That could mean 6,000 job losses for the sector if the government follows through with this."
Households in the feed-in tariff scheme - introduced in 2010 - are paid for the electricity they generate for themselves and for the excess energy they export onto the grid for others and can typically save up to £600 a year on their energy bills and receive around £250 per year in tariff payments.
But Jones, who has gone virtually off-grid at home with a combination of solar and air-source power, which he also uses to charge his all-electric car and his partner’s hybrid, says solar is ready for the challenge.
“Solar is still worth it. The price of solar has fallen 80 percent in seven years, battery storage is now affordable and you can store the energy you generate for when you need it.
“We’re on the brink of an energy revolution. Coal is being phased out and nuclear energy is at record low levels due to under-investment in the sector and this year renewables accounted for over 30 percent of the power used in the UK.
“Householders equipped with solar and battery will benefit the most as they will be able to charge their batteries with cheap electricity and use it in peak periods which not only saves their wallet but also helps stabilize the national grid,” Jones said.
