The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday unveiled new renewable energy feed-in tariffs (FIT) for this year with the steepest cuts of up to 6 percent for solar panel installations, given lower manufacturing costs and better efficiency.
It also came after more than 30 percent of solar energy operators sold the power to private businesses at a higher rate of NT$5 per kilowatt-hour rather than the FIT rates granted by the government, the ministry said.
The ministry said it kept unchanged the FITs for solar systems with capacity smaller than 10kW at NT$5.7055 per kilowatt-hour, with an aim of encouraging households and small businesses to install rooftop solar panels. The tariff for this category is to drop 1.36 percent in the second half of the year, matching the broader downward trend of solar panel FITs.
Photo: CNA
The FITs for other renewable energy installations including onshore and offshore wind farms as well as hydroelectric power plants remain the same as the rates last year, the ministry said.
The ministry also set the FITs for micro hydro generators with capacity of less than 100kW at NT$4.9548 per kilowatt-hour, it added.
Local solar cell manufactures last month called on the ministry to maintain the FITs for solar energy installations, saying many solar cell makers are struggling to turn a profit due to weak domestic demand.
In response, the ministry yesterday said it had thoroughly considered all factors before reaching the final decision.
The FIT for large-scale ground-mount solar panels would see the biggest reduction of 5.91 percent this year to 3.5037 per kilowatt-hour, while floating solar panels came next with a reduction of 5.48 percent to NT$3.8948 per kilowatt-hour.
The tariff for rooftop solar panels with capacity ranging from 100kW to 500kW would fall 5.14 percent to NT$3.7152 per kilowatt-hour, marking the third-largest cut among all categories, the ministry said.
The FIT for marine energy would be flat at NT$7.32 per kilowatt-hour, the highest among all renewable energy, it said, adding that the first marine power plant is set to launch later this year.
The FITs for geothermal, biomass energy and waste-to-energy installations would remain unchanged, ranging from NT$2.8066 to NT$7.32 per kilowatt-hour, the ministry said.
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