Solar Media Staff

In the UK, approximately 45 percent of carbon emissions come from buildings. More specifically, these emissions are escaping from our energy inefficient homes. Clearly, something needs to be done about this problem as our legally binding carbon targets creep ever closer. The question is: what will that “something” be?

Driffield Rugby Club has enlisted the services of local solar installer, Dodds Solar, to install a £35,000 array on the roof of its Kelleythorpe clubhouse.

British Airways has used its One Destination Carbon Fund to fund the installation of solar panel on the Osprey Leisure Centre near Weymouth. Triple Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie officially unveiled the solar array, set to help the centre slash its utility bills and carbon footprint.

A recently signed partnership between the Joint Industry Board (JIB) and the National Skills Academy (NSA) means that all Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) cardholders training for Environmental Technologies can now be endorsed with renewables skills.

Our Solar Future, who runs the Cut Don’t Kill Campaign, has issued a plea to the industry to help it gather real-market data on the current condition of the UK solar market.

The embryonic electric vehicle (EV) market is often derided as an impractical solution to a complex problem or whose importance is recognised but current cost and technological short-comings prohibit its wide-scale adoption. Sound familiar?

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been revealed as the largest lender to renewable energy projects in the UK during 2011. A report published by Infrastructure Journal shows that RBS loaned more than £230 million to UK renewable energy projects last year, more than double that of their nearest competitor.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published the latest solar photovoltaic installation figures for 2012, which show that from April 1-15, just 1,293 solar PV installs were registered for the feed-in tariff scheme.

UK homeowners are today urged to think twice before allowing rent-a-roof companies to install solar on their home. Both the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) have issued warnings that people could face problems when selling their home, or worse, be refused a mortgage as a result of the ‘free’ panels.

Consultancy firm McKinsley has published a wide-ranging report on solar photovoltaic technology which reveals that solar PV will reach grid-parity with coal and nuclear as soon as 2020.