Q What is the Feed-in Tariff?

A The Feed-in Tariff, (FIT), is a payment made by an energy company to anyone who owns and operates a renewable electricity generation system. The payments are guaranteed for 20-25 years, (25 years in the case of solar PV). This is regardless of whether or not all, part or none of the electricity is exported back to the grid.

Q Who can qualify for FIT?

A Any private individual, community, company or organisation within the UK can join the scheme.

Q When did the FIT scheme start and when will it end?

A The FIT scheme was launched on 1st April 2010 and will come to an end on the 31st December 2012 for schemes under 4KWh. FIT payment will be guaranteed for 25 years for solar PV from the date of installation.

Q What is the FIT rate?

A For domestic systems below 4KWh, the new FIT rate is now 43.3p per KWh

Q Can I sell electricity back to the grid?

A Yes, you can sell any surplus electricity back to the grid. This is done automatically as any power you don't use is fed directly back through your meter. Any surplus electricity is bought back by the generating company at the rate of 3 pence per KWh.

Q What do I need to generate electricity?

A You need a microgeneration scheme installing. In this case, an array of solar panels mounted on a roof that can face anywhere from east to west, but preferably in a southerly direction. The solar panel array is then connected to a special piece of kit called an inverter which stabilises the electrical feed from the solar panels and converts it from direct current, (DC), to alternating current, (AC), making it compatible with your mains electricity system. The Inverter is then connected to your mains system and is monitored for performance.

Q What guarantees do I get?

A The FIT scheme is guaranteed for 25 years in the case of domestic solar PV installations. The output of the solar panels is guaranteed at 90% of maximum performance for ten years and 80% up to 25 years. The installed equipment is guaranteed for 5 years.

Q What is a KWh?

A The kilowatt-hour (symbolized kWh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one kilowatt (1 kW) of power being used for one hour (1 h) of time.

1 KWh is equal to 1 full unit displayed on your electricity meter.