On February 21st, 2012 the U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced that it has applied to the U.K. Supreme Court to appeal a series of rulings which found the timing of its cuts to the nation's feed-in tariff (FIT) for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation to be illegal.

Both the Solar Trade Association (STA) and the Renewable Energy Association expressed disappointment with the Conservative-led DECC's decision to appeal the rulings, stating that this will prolong the uncertainty for the solar industry as to FIT levels for the period between December 12th, 2011 and March 3rd, 2012.

"We had hoped that DECC would put an end to the disruption being caused to the sector by this court case," stated STA Chairman Howard Johns. "A win in this case - whilst unlikely - would set a very bad precedent undermining the case for investment in renewables in the UK."

"The solar sector has been struggling to cope with the number of consultations around the feed in tariff this year and the uncertainty they have caused – surely now is the time to move on from this situation."

Another unpopular move by Conservatives

A broad cross-section of British society objected to the the DECC's cuts to FIT levels, effective December 12th, 2011, well in advance of the conclusion of an official consultation. The cuts reduced FIT levels for PV generation roughly by half of their earlier level.

On December 15th, 2011 the U.K. High Court ruled in favor of legal challenges brought by Friends of the Earth U.K. (London, U.K.), Solar Century Holdings Ltd. (London, U.K.) and HomeSun Holdings Ltd. (Wembley, U.K.), finding that the timing of the cuts was illegal.

The DECC appealed this decision, however the court's findings were upheld by an appeals court ruling on January 25th, 2012.

2012-02-22| Courtesy: DECC | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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