Smart meters and solar panels “should be decoupled” following a number of functionality issues, according to the Solar Trade Association (STA).
The STA reports that SMETS1 devices do not have the export recording functionality to link to the Data Communications Company, meaning solar panel technology was incompatible for some customers.
An initial consultation on a review of the Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme was held in 2015 in which respondents expressed their concerns about smart functionality.
Another consultation was held over the summer of this year on the proposed closure of the Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) Scheme to new applications after 31 March 2019, but the results are yet to be published.
STA spokesperson Leonie Greene told Utility Week: “A lot of the issues that are coming to light now were warned about, this shouldn’t be news.
“We should have had a consultation on this, the potential consequences were warned about and they are happening out there in the real world.
“The smart meter rollout and solar should be decoupled until these issues are resolved so you should be able to put in a smart meter but you should be able to retain your deeming.”
Supplier licence condition 33 (SLC33) stipulates that export metering with a smart meter is required however it acknowledges that it is not “possible or practical to measure the export by way of export meter readings”.
In response to the concerns raised, an Ofgem spokesperson said that while there are issues, it expected suppliers to resolve them.
“Smart meters are compatible with solar panels and any issues that do exist currently can be resolved. Once a smart meter has been installed, FIT payments should be based on the actual amount exported using readings from the meter,” the spokesman added.
“We are aware that some suppliers are continuing to make FIT payments based on the ‘deemed’ estimate of the generation sent to the grid rather than the actual amount.
“We understand that this is because, at the moment, the relevant supplier can’t always access the export meter readings. We expect suppliers to work to resolve this issue.”
The smart meter rollout which, according to the latest estimates, has so far seen 12.05 million devices installed, has seen other functionality issues which have resulted in some devices “going dumb” when customers switch supplier.