Solar panel arrays have popped up all over the New Territories on many village house rooftops
Glance upward in any NT village and you’re sure to note many new-looking roof shelters with sturdy frameworks and black cables connecting the components. They don’t look like the common flimsy erections that keep rain off the laundry, so what are they, and why so many? To find out we spoke to Ben (his preferred alias) who has recently installed one on his house in Kap Pin Long.
“They are solar panel arrays,” said Ben, “permitted under the FiT scheme, intended to publicise and promote the development of renewable energy. The house owner pays for the installation, from which the power generated is sent direct to CLP, who send the owner a cheque each month. Meanwhile, the owner continues to pay his regular electricity bills for domestic consumption. Come in and have a look.”
So we did, and Ben explained that the FiT (Feed-in-Tariff) Scheme allows the construction of a solar panel installation in the form of a shelter on the roof of a village house. Height may be up to 2.5 metres above the roof, covering up to 50% of the covered area of the building, projecting maximum 750mm from the external walls. (This projection is not counted in the 50%.) No prior approvals from Lands or Buildings Departments are required, although on completion an Authorised Person needs to certify the safety of the installation to LandsD. All existing Unauthorised Building Works, including those that have been acknowledged by BD should be removed or they, together with the solar installation, will be deemed to be normal UBWs, subject to enforcement action.
No planning permission is needed to install rooftop solar
How does a house owner (or the owner of a top floor flat and roof) go about building one? “First,” says Ben, “find a contractor. There’s lots of them specialising in this work, and advertising through fliers on fences or dropped in your letter box. Get three or four proposals and compare them carefully. They should cover everything from making the initial application to CLP on your behalf, through complete construction, notifying CLP of completion and arranging the AP for safety inspection.” Ben is a technical professional and was concerned about the strength of the supporting structure, which was a key item in his assessment of the proposals. “Try to visit a recent project of your preferred contractor so that you can see the structural system up close,” he advises.
OK, a lawful shelter on the roof is attractive, but what about cost? Ben chuckled. “That is the great part about the scheme, the power company pays for the electricity at a special tariff of $5.00 per kWh, around five times the normal domestic rate, and which would generally repay the project cost in 3 to 4 years.” This is a great return, so we asked Ben for more detail. “My total cost was $130,000. I expect to earn $40,000 to $43,000 per year from CLP. A lawful roof shelter paid for by a third party, it’s a no-brainer! And that $5 tariff is guaranteed to 2033. Oh, and by the way, my contractor completed the entire installation in four days.”
While enjoying a beer beneath Ben’s brand-new shelter, he suggested we return in a few months to see how his installation has been performing.
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