The Department of Energy & Climate Change has released its latest statistics on solar deployment under the Feed-in Tariff scheme.

The statistics show that domestic and commercial rooftop solar almost doubled from October to December 2015 as compared to the same period the year before.

Paul Barwell, chief executive officer of the Solar Trade Association said: “The statistics released today are not unexpected as an increase in the amount of solar being deployed ahead of the cut on 15 January was always likely. However, the ‘huge rush’ some predicted has not really occurred, perhaps reflecting the stable market conditions in 2015 as well as the cut in absolute terms was less than in 2012. We won’t know the full impact until January’s stats are published.”

There are still ongoing concerns about how the new caps system will be implemented. How will homeowners know what their Feed-in Tariff rate will be before they agree to put solar on their roof? How does an installer know what to tell its customer?

Also noted was that tariff rates have decreased for domestic systems from 12.03p/kWh to 4.39p/kWh as of 15 January. Mr Barwell said: “Despite the lower rates, solar is still a great buy for forward-thinking homeowners who want to generate their own electricity and protect themselves from rises in energy prices, and we anticipate install prices will continue to fall.”

Recent research showed that solar power is considered the most desirable technology with homebuyers willing to pay an extra £2,000 more for homes equipped with solar panels. Solar power is also a good investment for anyone replacing their roof, where attractive integrated solar can replace traditional roofing materials and provide a good return on investment.