Power from the People: Prosuming Solar Electricity in the UK, beyond the Feed-in Tariff
Durham University, DEI Briefing Note, April 2018, 5 p.
Durham University, DEI Briefing Note, April 2018, 5 p.
Domestic solar PV installations have increased rapidly in the UK since 2010, peaking in early 2012, thanks to generous government incentives through Feed-in Tariffs (FITs). However, recent cuts in FIT rates have reduced solar development drastically and are bringing storage at the forefront of domestic energy (Jones et. al., 2017). Alongside solar PV cost reduction forecast and increase of electricity retail prices, the incorporation of battery storage is the main option to sustain rooftop PV uptake. Growth in battery units is primarily due to the opposing trends in household electricity prices and FITS in conjunction with government incentives for battery storage. High electricity prices and low support for feeding power produced at home into the grid benefits those who can consume their own power. Battery storage can assist in this. Besides lowering household grid imports through increased on-site PV self-consumption, smart storage systems are presented as a solution to solve some of the problems of intermittent generation, to help matching supply and demand, and eventually increase profitability for prosumers.