Solar Media Staff

As part of its plans to connect over 25MW of wind and solar energy initiatives to the grid this year, TGC Renewables has begun construction on one of the largest solar projects in the UK. The 3.6MW project, comprising 14,700 PV panels, will be installed over three adjacent fields on a 8.32 hectare site, north of the village of Clawton, Devon.

The UK has dropped a position in Ernst & Young’s latest global renewable energy Country Attractiveness Indices report (CAI), due to concerns that the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) commitment to renewables is wavering after increased speculation that the department is ready to embrace natural gas as the bridge fuel for the country.

Not for profit organisation Future of London has launched its latest report, Delivering Energy Efficiency in London, examining the practicalities in implementing and driving demand for the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO). Produced in conjunction with EDF Energy, the group’s research concludes that carrying out these efficiency measures will be more difficult and costly in London and therefore will require increased financial aid compared with the rest of the UK.

After the disaster at Fukishima, Germany vowed to never install a new nuclear station again, immediately decommissioning eight plants. Instead it would turn to renewables to generate the energy required to run the country.

I attended the launch at the Local Government Association (LGA) on May 17 for the new guidance by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) for local authorities. It is titled How Local Authorities Can Reduce Emissions and Manage Climate Risk and was published the same day.

Westmill solar farm, located just outside Swindon, is set to become the UK’s first community-owned solar park. The 5MW site has been operating since July last year and is home to more than 20,000 solar modules, producing 4.4GWh of electricity per year.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has criticised Government for not following through on its pledge to support infrastructure investment.

The Energy Efficiency Deployment Office (EEDO) has appointed Peter Boyd as Expert Chair. Boyd is currently the CEO for Carbon War Room, an independent global, non-profit that seeks to accelerate entrepreneurial solutions to profitable, ‘gigaton-scale’ reduction in carbon emissions.

Since yesterday’s feed-in tariff bomb was dropped in the House of Commons by the now-infamous Minister of State Greg Barker, there has been a lot of squabbling in the UK solar industry. A large majority were pleased with the results of the consultation, while others continued to berate Government with their now worn torrent of abuse.

Greenbuy Energy has taken advantage of a change in law last April that rules that commercial property owners, including farmers, can now have solar panels installed on their land without the need for planning permission.