The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is seeking community input into its review of solar feed-in tariffs from 1 July 2015.
Releasing an Issues Paper for public comment today, IPART Chairman, Dr Peter Boxall, said the review will determine the subsidy-free value of electricity exported from solar PV units.
“Our review will involve setting a benchmark range for solar feed-in tariffs. This is designed to help customers choose the best combination of electricity prices and feed-in tariffs on offer to meet their specific needs,” Dr Boxall said. The current benchmark range is 4.9 to 9.3 cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh) and this guide will remain in place until the review is completed.
A number of retailers are currently planning to introduce battery technology to their customers. In future, this will enable solar PV customers to charge their battery rather than exporting electricity to the grid.
We will also determine the mandatory contribution that retailers make towards subsidised feed-in-tariffs under the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme. The current retailer contribution is 5.1c/kWh and this rate will continue until we make our final determination in October 2015. The Solar Bonus Scheme is due to end on 31 December 2016.
Dr Boxall said IPART is seeking input into the way the value of solar PV exports is estimated, before preparing a draft report for further comment in August and a final report and determination in October 2015.
The Issues Paper is available on IPART’s website <http://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au>. Submissions will be accepted until 13 July 2015.
Media Contact: Julie Sheather 02 9290 8403 or 0409 514 643