We have for a long time wanted to see a feed-in tariff for people who generate electricity on-site and want to sell their surplus to the grid. ESB Customer Services has today proposed an interim tariff for microgenerators up to 11kw of 9 cents per kw hr.

The Commissioner for Energy Regulation has invited submissions from the public. You can read about the CER request for submission and make a submission at http://www.cer.ie/en/electricity-retail-market-current-consultations.aspx?articl...

In making a submission, you might like to know that in many parts of the UK, the feed-in tariff is 10p sterling per KwHr and that a further 4p is paid for Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) whereby the carbon credited is purchased for all energy produced by the wind turbine (including electricity used by the customers themselves).

By comparison, 9 cents is a pretty derisory offer but it is possible that if enough applications are received, then the CER will increase this figure.

So lets try to persuade the CER that 9 cents is not a reasonable price to pay for microgenerators. Supporting arguments include that;

• This is only slightly higher than the 7.5c rate paid to large wind farms
• There is already a 12c feed-in tariff for offshore power. Micro generators should be regarded as an early-stage technology and supported in the same way
• Unlike wind farms and other generation systems, micro-generators do not create a requirement to expand the grid because their electricity is produced and used locally.
• Ireland could be a leading innovator in micro wind power, but there must be attractive feed-in tariffs to support this.
• Other countries such as Spain and Germany pay as much as 45c to 50c per kw hr for electricity to support the development of solar photovoltaic or other industries.
• Any other arguments you might have in favour.

The announcement by ESB is a move in the right direction , but I believe this offer could be and should be improved on if small scale domestic and hydro power is to catch on in Ireland.

Some other thoughts on feed in tariff of 9 cent a unit

1 - the rate of 12cent/kWhr is also avail for biomass CHP power generation

2 - the proposed rate of 9 cent / unit sounds not bad for a start off, considering upto now the rate was zero

3 - is it valid to look at the proposed rate in the following context - I am on a rural nightsaver domestic tariff where a rate of 17.06 cent a unit during days and 8.44 cent at night 23.00-08.00. If I put a windturbine up and put up some units onto the network, then the
probability is that this will be done mostly at nights because  a) it is more windy at night and b) domestic use is lowest, then the rate of 9 cent is in excess of what the ESB is charging for me to use its power.

Anyway, the point being there needs to be a good argument for the CER to direct the ESB to increase the feed in tariff for microgenrators
as I am guessing that the ESB being a business, will come up up with some good reasons why it shouldn't. The sole responsibility for promoting domestic microgen does not rest with the ESB - surely SEI have a role to play, considering all the grants they provided for REHEAT program, ie for pellet boilers/solar heating etc.

Q
I hope I don't sound like a rep for ESB, obviously I would be pleased to see the feed in rate increased above the 9 cent mark proposed, as I hope to go down this road in the future & I guess I am just maybe giving part of a counter argument - forewarned is forearmed, as they say

two more thoughts on this subject

1) I am interested in the financing of the feed in tariff offered by the ESB, as I am sure you know already, the rate offered to commercial onshore wind farms (7.5 cent a unit) is given in the form of a price support (REFIT), which is to say the wind farms are paid by the SEM the same as a gas or oil fired generator - the ex Ante SMP for the half hour in question, this amount is then topped up to the 7.5 cent by the operators of the REFIT scheme which is the Dept of Comm, Marine & Energy

2) getting back to the rate of 9 cent for micro vs 7.2 cent for wind farms, again as I am sure you know, there is a mile long queue (?) of investors looking to build wind farms on the basis of getting 7.2 cent a unit - (Gate 2 & Gate 3 procedure)

I don't know if there are plans to change the current standard. ESB has standards for islanding, grid quality etc that are a bit more stringent than other EU countries, but not impossible for most inverter manufacturers.

You can find these guidelines at http://www.esb.ie/esbnetworks/downloads/microgen.pdf.

You can download the form to apply to be a microgenerator by clicking on www.esb.ie/esbnetworks/downloads/form_nc6.pdf

Q

Best of luck with the new unit, have you any track on kWhr produced?
Have you gone about trying to avail of this new proposed tariff - I think getting a Smart electricity meter installed to register exported units is a precursor to availing of this tariff. It would be interesting to hear how you get on?

Hi there.I have been approved by the ESB.Ive an import/export meter,My tower has no guy wires, and I have a hinge half way up where I can easily take it down for service.There has been little wind since I put it up a week ago, butt I have been logging what its been producing, not alot at presnet only about 40 KW to date.

I was in touch with CER a couple of weeks ago. They said that they hoped to have a decision on the feed in tariff within two weeks. That's tomorrow!

If they leave the tariff at 9c, many turbines will have a long payback time unless the site is ideal. An opportunity to build industries in this sector will be lost. So here's hoping....

You can read our submission here http://turbotricity.com/wp-content/uploads/cer-submission-on-feed-in-tariff.pdf