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Link does not provide much information, here are more details: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/solar-powered-schools-bill-business-rates-ri

Link does not provide much information, here are more details: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/solar-powered-schools-bill-business-rates-rise-england-wales https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/solar-po... > The Valuation Office Agency said last year that small non-domestic solar installations would no longer be exempt from rates and bigger solar systems already subjected to business rates would see a hike of 600-800%. > Solar-equipped private schools will duck the changes because of their charitable status. I think it is a sign that solar electricity has matured, does not need subsidies, and can stand on its own (and be taxed the same way as other industries).

jackmott 10y ago
The fossil fuel industries in most countries have an extremely complex set of tax breaks and subsidies of their own. So should solar also have that?
- jankotek 10y ago
  I do not want to go into this discussion, but I doubt school would get any subsidies for a coal plant. By other industries I meant everything (manufacturing, IT, agriculture...), not just electricity.
  - ZeroGravitas 10y ago
    But when evaluating whether to buy solar panels, they'd measure against the price of electricity sold by subsidiized coal plants, so thoses subsizidies would harm solar uptake. I'm not sure this applies in the UK though, despite swinging rightward there's a reasonable range of regulations that are basically putting coal out of business anyway.
  - pjc50 10y ago
    If you installed a coal CHP plant in a school, you would get a rates exemption for it: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/combined-heat-and-power-incentives https://www.gov.uk/guidance/combined-heat-and-power-incentiv... (even more crazy were the subsidies for renewable heat in Northern Ireland, which ended up bringing down the Stormont government: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38307628 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38307628 )
deleted 10y ago
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jackmott 10y ago

The fossil fuel industries in most countries have an extremely complex set of tax breaks and subsidies of their own. So should solar also have that?

jankotek 10y ago
I do not want to go into this discussion, but I doubt school would get any subsidies for a coal plant. By other industries I meant everything (manufacturing, IT, agriculture...), not just electricity.
- ZeroGravitas 10y ago
  But when evaluating whether to buy solar panels, they'd measure against the price of electricity sold by subsidiized coal plants, so thoses subsizidies would harm solar uptake. I'm not sure this applies in the UK though, despite swinging rightward there's a reasonable range of regulations that are basically putting coal out of business anyway.
- pjc50 10y ago
  If you installed a coal CHP plant in a school, you would get a rates exemption for it: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/combined-heat-and-power-incentives https://www.gov.uk/guidance/combined-heat-and-power-incentiv... (even more crazy were the subsidies for renewable heat in Northern Ireland, which ended up bringing down the Stormont government: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38307628 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38307628 )

deleted 10y ago

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