United Kingdom: Ensuring Technology Standards to Support Successful FIT Outcomes

The United Kingdom (UK) adopted a small and medium-scale wind FIT policy in 2010 that established a 20-year contract mechanism for the purchase of wind electricity at a rate of approximately 50 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour, which was decreased over time. To complement the policy and ensure high-quality products were incented, a Micro-generation Certification Scheme (MCS) for small and medium-size wind turbines was also developed with three review aspects: quality of the wind turbine design, quality of installation, and verification of manufacturing processes used to build the wind turbine. Through this experience, the UK found that incrementally increasing MCS requirements allows for enhanced product validation and supports positive FIT outcomes without negatively impacting the market (DECC 2008).