Solar panel supplier Skyline Solar says FITs cuts likely to lose it multimillion-pound orders

A solar panel manufacturer has laid bare the impact of the government鈥檚 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� green subsidy cuts on the sector, including up to 拢2.5m worth of lost orders for his firm.

Speaking to 黑洞社区, Skyline Solar鈥檚 business development manager Thomas Russell said the government鈥檚 planned cut to the feed-in tariff (FIT) would be 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� for the solar sector.

He revealed the firm is set to miss out on two major commercial projects, together worth 拢2.5m, which he said was a direct consequence of the government鈥檚 proposal for an 87% cut to the FIT, which could come into effect as early as January.

The first project was a 1MW solar installation on a factory in the Wirral for tea-maker Typhoo Tea. The second project was a 1.6MW capacity solar installation on a distribution centre for a high street fashion retailer - which he declined to name - as well as a further 300KW installation for the same client on its London headquarters.

Russell said the clients were currently 鈥渞eviewing鈥� the projects, but added that 鈥渁s it stands, they will probably be cancelled鈥�.

Skyline Solar is the solar PV installation arm of Skyline Roofing Centres, a 拢20m-turnover, London-based firm with 119 staff.

Russell said that should the government鈥檚 planned cuts go ahead, some jobs in the solar division could be moved to the group鈥檚 roofing or construction business.

But he added: 鈥淎nyone who鈥檚 technically a specialist in solar, who can鈥檛 move to another part of the group, will probably just have to join the dole queue.鈥�

While the cuts will mean work at the solar firm will 鈥渄rop completely dead鈥� if they come into force next year, Russell said the business is currently 鈥渋nundated鈥� with orders now as customers rush to get solar panels installed before the changes.

He said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking three times the number of the orders [鈥 We鈥檒l probably be installing up until 30 December. It will go to the wire. But then it will drop completely dead.鈥�

He added that for the solar industry 鈥渋t鈥檚 total boom and bust, far worse than the recession鈥�.

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