Isra-Mart srl: British Gas crosses finishing line as FiT deadline looms

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British Gas has completed a solar farm that will be eligible for feed-in-tariff incentives, after it today flicked the switch on a 4.6MW array at Toyota's Derby factory.

The utility connected 17,000 photovoltaic panels to the grid in Burnaston in a project costing more than £10m.

As revealed by BusinessGreen, the utility was planning to complete the giant array ahead of deep cuts to feed-in tariffs that will come into effect from 1 August.

DECC is set to slash feed-in tariff incentives for all solar installations with more than 50 kilowatts of capacity by between 40 and 70 per cent, in response to ministerial concerns that solar farm developers will drain the limited funds that are primarily intended for domestic rooftop installations.

Completion of the solar farm before the deadline means British Gas can now claim the feed-in tariff, while Toyota Manufacturing UK will benefit from any renewable electricity generated.

A spokesman from British Gas confirmed that the Toyota array is the only solar farm it completed after the government confirmed it would review the incentive rates offered to large solar farms.

The array is one of the biggest in the UK manufacturing sector and the first large-scale solar array for the UK car industry. British Gas said all the solar panels were manufactured in the UK.

Colin MacDonald, head of microgeneration at British Gas, said the array demonstrated one way that energy-intensive manufacturing plants can improve their environmental impact. The installation is expected to save up to 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

"As well as improving Derbyshire's green credentials, we hope it will act as a beacon for homes and businesses throughout the county to think about renewable energy," he said.

British Gas has also installed some 'showcase' elements at the plant's shops, including a ‘brise soleil', which is a sunshade of solar panels above a window and a wall of solar glass to replace existing windows.

Toyota's vehicle plant in Burnaston currently makes the Auris, Auris Hybrid and Avensis models.

In related news, Toyota has reportedly changed its position to back a proposal by President Obama to boost US mileage standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

According to Bloomberg, the Japanese car maker had initially expressed concerns about the proposals, arguing that US-based carmakers will gain an advantage because fuel-economy standards for light trucks will increase more slowly than for cars.

But Toyota is now planning to publicly back the proposals, ahead of Obama's announcement tomorrow.