Cyprus-Forum.com

[cyprusgrump]

OK - so you know of someone in Cyprus who has also made it work. Point proven!

There you go twisting and turning others words as normal, like the little troll you are....

I didn't say it worked - read my words again.

If you install solar panels the grid is forced to buy the electricity from you at many times the cost of generating it themselves (you get a cheque from the electricity company and another from the EU).

So if you have a small number of panels you can sell the electricity to the grid, make a load of money and cover the cost of your own electricity.

BUT the taxpayer and other electricity customers pick up the difference.

So it only works when small numbers are doing it...

If the electricity that was produced was paid for at a realistic price (i.e. without a subsidy) the panels would never pay for themselves and nobody would ever install them...

There are no "tax-payers" subsidies as far as I'm aware - nor are they needed as industry can generate its own profit

You can now consider yourself slightly less ignorant than you were before then...

[GreekIslandGirl]

CG - I am well aware the UK government is doing everything to stop others from benefiting from Solar Energy. And that's where you get your negative influence from. Just because Solar is still not practical in the UK it does NOT mean it's not practical in Cyprus as the few people we (both) know who have made it work will testify. The one (actually two) I know has (have) done it all off his (their) own back (one out of necessity and one for fun) without any tax-payers money - so I don't know what you're on about.

With a little more research, there is no reason why the UK cannot have a reasonably efficient renewable energy program too. But they find it "easier" to cause wars (out of habit) and take what belongs to others - still!

[cyprusgrump]

CG - I am well aware the UK government is doing everything to stop others from benefiting from Solar Energy. And that's where you get your negative influence from. Just because Solar is still not practical in the UK it does NOT mean it's not practical in Cyprus as the few people we (both) know who have made it work will testify. The one (actually two) I know has (have) done it all off his (their) own back (one out of necessity and one for fun) without any tax-payers money - so I don't know what you're on about.

If they are connected to the grid then EU taxpayers and CY electricity users are subsidising them. Simple as.

There are two ways to go about it in Cyprus.

1) You fund the installation yourself.
2) You get a 40% grant from the government (taxpayers) for the equipment

If you fund it yourself you get a higher rate for the electricity you produce.

Either method ensures you a return per KWh which is greater than the Cyprus Electricity Authority pay to generate electricity conventionally.

The difference is made up by consumers and taxpayers.

Ask your fiends what rate they receive for the electricity they produce - then compare that price to what everybody else pays and it may become clear to you.

And do stop your ridiculous anti British propaganda on every post...

CG - I am well aware the UK government is doing everything to stop others from benefiting from Solar Energy.

The fact is that the UK government (i.e. taxpayers) also spends millions subsidising those that have put PV panels on their houses and earn money from them at the expense of everybody else...

if you just did the tiniest amount of research before posting...

[Jerry]

Ah the magic of Cyprus Forum, one of the few places where a harmless post about motor cars can be turned into an assault on British foreign policy. Priceless

[cyprusgrump]

Ah the magic of Cyprus Forum, one of the few places where a harmless post about motor cars can be turned into an assault on British foreign policy. Priceless

To be fair, GIG can turn a post on anything into an assault on British foreign policy...

[GreekIslandGirl]

Ah the magic of Cyprus Forum, one of the few places where a harmless post about motor cars can be turned into an assault on British foreign policy. Priceless

Well, it is sticking to alternative energy sources. But, Cyprus IS a major part of British Foreign Policy and BFP is about acquiring Energy.

(Anyway, it wasn't me who insisted solar energy was not the future for Cyprus just because it's not suitable for the UK. )

But I'll leave trying to discuss something with a typical Daily Mail reader as they can only drag you down to their level.

[Oceanside50]

We need to think of the environment and future sustainability. Cyprus sits in an ocean of sunshine. Solar --> electricity!

Leave the Gas/Oil to sell to cold, wet, cloudy countries!

(If they have any money ... They do seem to be on the grab ... )

the point is GreekIslandGirl is that sustainability comes naturally, not through subsidies by the government. In fact govt subsidies usually kill off whatever they have been trying to subsidy, because subsidies deter innovation and competition. The worst thing you can do to solar is to subsidize it. Since Cyprus does sit on abundant natural gas and it will be cheap why not just use that? Imagine heating or cooling a house in Cyprus for less then 15 euros a month, or driving a natural gas automobile that gets you through the month for under 20 euros...where is the point of fitting all homes with solar so that Cypriot tax payers have to subsidize its inefficiencty....

[cyprusgrump]

Ah the magic of Cyprus Forum, one of the few places where a harmless post about motor cars can be turned into an assault on British foreign policy. Priceless

Well, it is sticking to alternative energy sources. But, Cyprus IS a major part of British Foreign Policy and BFP is about acquiring Energy.

(Anyway, it wasn't me who insisted solar energy was not the future for Cyprus just because it's not suitable for the UK. )

But I'll leave trying to discuss something with a typical Daily Mail reader as they can only drag you down to their level.

To prove you are not a troll, perhaps you could highlight the post where somebody "insisted solar energy was not the future for Cyprus just because it's not suitable for the UK"...?

While you are there, perhaps you could produce evidence to substantiate your claim that "There are no "tax-payers" subsidies" for solar energy production...?

Otherwise people might begin to believe you are a forum troll who makes unsubstantiated claims based on bigotry and hate instead of contributing to the debate. We wouldn't want that would we...?

[cyprusgrump]

We need to think of the environment and future sustainability. Cyprus sits in an ocean of sunshine. Solar --> electricity!

Leave the Gas/Oil to sell to cold, wet, cloudy countries!

(If they have any money ... They do seem to be on the grab ... )

the point is GreekIslandGirl is that sustainability comes naturally, not through subsidies by the government. In fact govt subsidies usually kill off whatever they have been trying to subsidy, because subsidies deter innovation and competition. The worst thing you can do to solar is to subsidize it. Since Cyprus does sit on abundant natural gas and it will be cheap why not just use that? Imagine heating or cooling a house in Cyprus for less then 15 euros a month, or driving a natural gas automobile that gets you through the month for under 20 euros...where is the point of fitting all homes with solar so that Cypriot tax payers have to subsidize its inefficiencty....

Precisely!

Interestingly, I did some work at Govan Shipbuilders - before they went out of business of course!

[GreekIslandGirl]

Since everyone has to reduce emissions, some countries have to be seen to be supporting these innovations such as the car of this thread or solar energy where it's efficient. Solar should be very efficient in Cyprus as it is in Israel etc.

As for subsidies:
In the UK, the one person I know who has Solar energy bought the equipment VAT free as far as I recall but without a government grant.

The two people I know in Cyprus also did not receive any grants or subsidies. One refused to pay the 4,000 or so euro cost to bring the electricity out of the village to his house and spent the money on moving over to Solar instead. The other did it for fun as a project and again did not receive any grants.

Personally, I do believe the government should be spending on research to make sustainable energy cost-effective - not necessarily on helping individuals as they would be lowering their fuel bills anyway.

Even if Cyprus becomes Energy rich from the Gas/Oil supplies; it's still imperative they invest in using Solar as it would be free for the locals. They will then have more hydrocarbons to sell to those nations who cannot use Solar efficiently.