Solar Media Staff

Public support for the government’s chosen energy generating technologies has seen a “statistically significant” drop according to the latest public attitudes survey from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Preliminary figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for Q3 2016 show deployment of around 74MW, less than a quarter of what was deployed in the same period last year.

The UK has once again slipped down international rankings for attractive renewable energy markets after the new government’s decisions to close Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and approve Hinkley Point C “dealt a blow” to the country’s prospects.

A letter signed by over 20 organisations has put pressure on energy and intellectual property minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe to retain solar thermal within the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), as the industry continues to wait for the government’s decision.

Edinburgh is celebrating the completion of what is thought to be the largest community-owned rooftop solar framework in the UK after 1.4MW of solar was deployed across the city’s public buildings.

The verdict of last week’s National Audit Office report into the Levy Control Framework was damning for the government, but nothing UK solar wasn’t already fully aware of. If the government must be more transparent in the future, Perhaps it could start by confirming just how – as the NAO report seems to show – it allowed rhetoric – rather than fact – to dictate policy.

The loss of thousands of solar installers from the UK market has a series of damaging knock on effects on distributors. David Pratt identifies some of the biggest issues to have emerged and what the future may hold for the solar supply side.

As the pipeline of solar projects continues to grow in Ireland, the gap between the number of grid applications submitted and the number of planning applications becomes more evident. After attending ISEA’s recent planning workshop, Lauren Cook, research analyst at Solar Media, explains why developers should work closer with planners on future projects.

The government has been accused of “worrying complacency” over Scotland’s renewable energy sector after its response to a recent report avoided specific calls for an indication of support for renewable electricity generators and technologies.

The first crowd-funded solar project at a higher education institution has been completed at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) after raising more than £22,000 in a matter of weeks.