Save Solar Tasmania urges less haste in implementing solar decision

Save Solar Tasmania today welcomed the government’s decision to extend the existing 1:1 feed-in tariff for existing solar PV owners until January 2019. “The extension of the scheme for five years is an acknowledgement of our case for fair treatment of people who invested in systems that take a number of years to return their investment.” said spokesperson Jack Gilding.
Tasmanian solar owners spoke up strongly, particularly through the efforts of solar community organisations Save Solar Tasmania, Solar Citizens and others, and told the government that they want a fair go for solar investors.
The government has reacted to people’s concerns, but in their haste make the Aurora privatisation more profitable they have created an administrative nightmare for solar installers and customers.
Tasmanians who want to go solar, or to extend their existing system, have only until Friday next week (30 August) to find an installer, agree on a system size, sign a contract, pay a deposit and get their connection application in to Aurora.
“If they fail this deadline by even a day, they will get only around 8c instead of 28c for the electricity they export to the grid for the next five years – this is a recipe for rushed decision making” said Mr Gilding.
Save Solar Tasmania and Solar Citizens urge all people in Tasmanians who are considering solar to act quickly to finalise their plans and to get their connection application in to Aurora so they don’t miss out on a fair price for their solar.
Community groups have been lobbying since last November for the feed-in tariff issue to be dealt with. Since the release of the government’s Issues Paper in May, the industry and consumers have been in a ‘wait and see’ mode, now all of a sudden people have less than 10 days to make decisions that will affect their finances for years to come.
We welcome the government’s decision that systems signed up in the next 10 days can be installed any time in the next year so we will at least be spared the problems of rushed installations that have occurred in other states.
“We urge the government to extend the deadline and allow people at least a month to make considered decisions about their investments in solar” said Mr Gilding.
For more information
Jack Gilding (0407) 486-651, tasmania@solarcitizens.org.au
Website: Save Solar Tasmania solarcitizens.org.au/tas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveSolarTas @SaveSolarTas1