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I don't buy the grid argument, but I do think that there's a very simple recognition here that PV is the problem. It's never going to develop into commercial level installations, and that's the point of these FITs. The Spanish government recognizes that done right FITs can be used to help develop local industries. There is already a wind energy cluster in Spain. There's a developing thermo-solar cluster, and and even newer one for wave energy. These all tie into established manufacturing bases in the north of Spain.
Wind drew upon the massive machine tool industry in the Basque Country. Thermo-solar connects into companies making mirrors for autos. And wave energy will employ the shipbuilding capacity in the region. This is as much about building Spanish industry as it is about an energy policy.
That said, the current FIT in Spain come from 2 sources. Royal Decree 1578/2008 specifies rates for the PV sector, and Royal Decree 661/2007 covers rates for the rest of the renewables sector. I'll post a copy of these rates later. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
Why not?
The Spanish government recognizes that done right FITs can be used to help develop local industries.
That's true for solar, too. The German PV industry did not grow overnight. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Notice that the anticipated scale of PV installations shrinks enormously in 2008.
The problem with very small PV installations is that they are primarily rooftop affairs. They aren't going to fuel the creation of commercial scale energy, instead they're a subsidy to the construction industry.
The worst case scenario from the capacity factors given in the original legislation was 15.67% capacity factor.
So that's 1372.5 KwH for every KW of installed capacity.
At a guaranteed rate of 0.32 /KwH, that's a 439.20 subsidy for every KW installed a year, 439,200 per MW. At that rate, you're looking at total payback in a matter of a very few years.
The rate's too high. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
I realise my wording wasn't clear on this, but by the bubble bursting, I meant that the Spanish PV market collapsed already last year, after a leaping record (based on EPIA numbers:
So, again: this new talk of a strong rate cut you highlight in the diary will affect almost only solar cells installed years ago, not ones newly installed en masse now.
The problem with very small PV installations is that they are primarily rooftop affairs.
Why do you see that as a problem?
They aren't going to fuel the creation of commercial scale energy
Again, why not?
Could you cite the source? (It could be something worth to bookmark.)
At that rate, you're looking at total payback in a matter of a very few years.
That's tricky. Spain re-sets the rate every year, and apply for all units, whether installed years ago for 6000/kW or installed in the near future for 2500/kW. That is the (not known in advance) degression of the rate affects the payback time. So (if Spanish prices are similar to those in Germany) a kW plant installed in Q1 2009 for 3922 would be paid back in around 9 years if the rate stayed constant, but in 20 years if there is an annual 10% reduction.
Put it another way: if you are in Spain and consider installing a PV solar cell, when you calculate whether the FIT rate will make your investment pay for itself, you have to anticipate future rate cuts by the government. Hence, even though 0.32 /Kwh seems generous, if people suspect that there could be more sudden 25% rate cuts on the horizon, it's no wonder only 69 MW has been installed last year. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
...will affect almost only and is aimed at... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
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