Up to 2,650 solar jobs in the West Midlands are under threat because of tariff cuts, an industry body has warned.

The vast majority of the 3,310 people employed in the solar sector in the region could be at risk due to the proposed 87 per cent, according to new Solar Trade Association analysis.

Feed-in tariffs are part of the Clean Energy Cashback, that pays people who put solar panels on their property for creating their own green electricity.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change proposed at the end of August to cut the tariff paid for generating electricity from 12.4p to 1.6p.

Gareth Williams, managing director of Midland solar company Caplor Energy, said: “I, like so many others across the UK and indeed the globe from Al Gore to the governor of the Bank of England, and even Boris Johnson, find it bewildering that our ‘greenest government ever’ should be performing such an abrupt and decisive U-turn on the green economy.

“Our business, like so many others has strived over the years to deliver a cleaner environment and energy supply system, yet all the accumulated experience and momentum developed is at risk from this dramatic change. How can any business cope with such large and fast changes and compete on such an unlevel playing field.

“Our team is at risk, our current and future customers are missing out on opportunities and we and our children will be the biggest losers.”

Nationwide, the Solar Trade Association has estimated that the jobs of up to 27,000 people employed in the solar energy sector and its supply chain are under threat.

Across the West Midlands there are currently 48,624 solar homes and 2,605 big solar rooftops on schools, warehouses and other commercial buildings.

There is also an important solar sector, including Hereford-based Caplor.

An alliance of organisations ranging from the National Farmers Union, the Confederation of British Industry, social housing providers and local authorities recently urged the government to “urgently reconsider” its proposals.

Chris Crean, Friends of the Earth’s West Midlands campaigner, said: “The government’s war on renewable energy threatens thousands of jobs in the West Midlands, and will prevent local people from generating their own clean power.”

Paul Barwell, chief executive of the Solar Trade Association, added: “Within this new set of proposals, the Government has used sunlight levels you might find in Devon, rather than those found in Yorkshire as they have done in the past. Here at the Solar Trade Association however we believe more than just one corner of the country should be able to get the benefits of going solar.”

“The Government’s short-term thinking on bills is condemning hardworking families to a future of higher energy costs.”