The announcement has called for a cap on the maximum size of a PV system to be restricted at 50kWp. By doing so the are immediately stopping small and medium businesses installing a renewable energy system that is business integrated, reducing the need to import energy from fossil fuel sources.

David Eyre, Director of Greenheart Energy says “We have been working with a number of organisations and businesses, such as dairy farms, manufacturing companies and other high energy users, to incorprate photovoltaic systems onto their buildings. The majority of the energy produced by the PV panels will be used on-site, exactly what the Feed-in Tariff was meant to promote. This announcement does not help the renewable energy industry in the UK. This Government is promoting itself as the greenest, but every week we hear how they are changing this, changing that. Putting a cap at 50kWp is stopping companies that are using a lot of energy from incorporating such systems to reduce their dependence on traditional sources of energy – 50kWp isn’t very big system. As on as systems are business integrated and the majority of energy produced used on-site or locally, then large systems such as 1MWp should be accomodated in the Feed-in Tariff.”

Despite the announcement Greenheart Energy are confident that by partnering both SCHOTT solar (photovoltaic manufacturers) and ETDE (Greenheart’s installation partner for large scale photovoltaic projects) they can install and commission up to 3 solar parks by the time the announcements come into force, as long as financing, grid connection and planning are already in place.

Once again, SCHOTT Solar AG has provided impressive proof of its high standards of quality. In the PV+ test conducted by TÜV Rheinland and the solar energy knowledge service provider Solarpraxis AG, Schott’s double-glass module SCHOTT Poly 290 came out on top with an assessment of “very good (-)”.

There are already well over 500 manufacturers of modules on today’s photovoltaics market, meaning that investors, installers, planners of solar power plants and consumers need help
choosing the right ones. The international IEC standards, as minimum requirements, are not sufficient for this on their own, while tests by the German Stiftung Warentest consumer organisation have up until now only been conducted at irregular intervals, mostly of several years. For this reason, Solarpraxis AG and the technical services provider TÜV Rheinland have joined forces to develop an independent seal of quality to certify adherence to the highest of standards. “The problem in the photovoltaics market is that some of the certified modules available are still not of optimum quality despite the certifications or do not comply with the actual certification standards. This was our reason for introducing this testing system as an additional quality measure – we’ve generated reliable data that consumers can trust”, says Wilhelm Vaaßen, head of Regenerative Energies at TÜV Rheinland.

“Once again, the excellent results prove us right with our strategy of putting quality first. Our modules provide investors and operators of solar systems with a reliable basis for planning throughout the entire life of the system”, explains Dr. Martin Heming, CEO at SCHOTT Solar AG.

All of SCHOTT’s photovoltiac modules are manufactured to the same high standards, so the quality for the panels will be excellent no matter which module you use in your project.

Greenheart Energy’s Chairman, Mike Eyre added “As an engineer quality has always played a key role in sourcing equipment in all our Greenheart’s energy projects, including photovoltaics. These results confirm that by partnering SCHOTT here in the UK and South Africa, we have made the right choice. Installing a photovoltaic system in the UK is an investment; longevity and performance of the modules is paramount when looking at the returns generated by the Feed-in Tariff. By using SCHOTT we are confident that all of our projects will deliver the performance and returns our customers require”.

Greenheart Energy presented at the public consultation of the proposed 5MWp solar park at Langage. The project intends to install a 5MWp solar PV system on land next to the Langage Power Station. Using approximately 20,000 of the SCHOTT Poly235 photovoltaic module, it will produce in the region of 5,000 mega watt hours (MWh), enough to power an average of 850 houses. The consultation gave local residents and businesses the change to have a look at the proposal and ask any questions they had.

Mike Eyre, Chairman of Greenheart Energy, says “The site is ideally located, both in terms of the amount of energy received from the sun and also its positioning with the surrounding area. A lot of landscaping work has been done to the site already which means that the panels will not be visable from the surrounding area. It is next to a power station and on industrial land, so no productive agricultural land will be lost in the development.”

As an approved Sales Partner for SCHOTT Solar in the UK and South Africa, Greenheart Energy have access to a market leading product, both in terms of quality and performance.

A photovoltaic system can be seen as an investment and the performance of the panels are key to the financial returns generated. As such it is important to use a quality product that will last and perform not just in year 1 but in year 25. Through 10 years of PV experience within the UK, Greenheart are confident that SCHOTT modules will do this.

David Eyre, Director of Greenheart Energy says “There are a lot of PV manufacturers around now, I am approached by more and more each day. The Feed-in Tariff is for 25 years and you want to use a product that you are confident will perform and deliver for 25 years +. Greenheart have worked with SCHOTT for over 5 years now and their quality and performance is second to none. We are confident that when we install a SCHOTT module, it will not let us or the customer down”.

Working alongside SCHOTT Solar, Greenheart’s technology partner, attendees would be offered a 3 day residential course covering all aspect of photovoltaics, both theoretical and practical. The site, which is located in Gloucestershire, is ideally located for its accessibility and its facilities.

David Eyre, director of Greenheart Energy says “We have seen a rapid increase in the interest of renewable energies within the last 10 months due to the Government’s Feed-in Tariff. This is great and encouraging, but it has highlighted the need to look in more detail at how Greenheart is going to be able to be able to meet the demand. By having our own internal installation course and facilities, it means that we can be in control and demonstrate that Greenheart can fulfil large scale installations”.

The training courses are planned to commence in the 1st quarter of 2011 and anyone interested in Greenheart’s training development can find out further information by contacting them at 0844 800 3353.