Klaxons join campaign for UK solar feed-in tariff

The Mercury prize-winning band the Klaxons has called for more support for solar power in the UK. The band, now recording its second album, has joined the ‘We Support Solar’ campaign to pressure the Government to reward those adopt solar energy to help fight climate change.

Much of the Klaxons’ second album is being recorded in a solar-powered studio — the country’s only recording studio generating clean energy from daylight — at The Premises Studios in East London.

Hundreds of individuals and companies across the country are backing the “We Support Solar” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the need for a strong “feed-in tariff” for solar power. Such tariffs have helped increase demand for solar energy in as many countries, including France, Spain and Italy.

“However much they might wish to be green, for many businesses it is simply not financially viable to install renewable energy,” said Julia Craik, manager of Premises Studios. “If the UK followed the example of Germany and introduced a premium feed-in tariff, the initial costs of installing renewable technologies such as our solar panels will be recouped in a much shorter time, and after that turn a profit. This would be a huge incentive.”

The UK Government has said that a tariff will be introduced to the UK in 2010 but it is still to be decided how strong and effective it will be.