Solar Media Staff

The UK’s Energy Saving Trust (EST) has today opened a new telephone advice line, which will give the general public information on how to save energy at home and at work.

Strutt & Parker has developed an innovative solution for new agricultural buildings that incorporates solar PV right from the initial construction. The solar barn was developed by the company’s newly-created energy division, which has been working closely with a number of rural landowners to develop agricultural buildings that incorporate solar PV to lower utility costs and benefit from the feed-in tariff (FiT).

With the April 1 2012 deadline upon us, solar power installations in the UK must now abide by the EPC requirements to access the full solar feed-in tariff rates. One of the pivotal aspects with domestic homes reaching the ‘D’ banded EPC rating is the presence of a condensing boiler. This is because in combination with a solar power system the condensing boiler lifts the majority of properties into the required EPC band.

As I’m sure most of you are painfully aware, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is introducing a range of changes to the feed-in tariff scheme as of April 1, 2012.

PassivSystems, the UK’s leading solar photovoltaic solar monitoring provider has unveiled Power Gauge, a home-energy platform that monitors overall energy consumption as well as generation from renewable installations – showing homeowners when they have free power available to use from their array and when they should reduce consumption because they are importing energy from the grid.

Blaenau Gwent Council and the United Welsh Housing Association have now completed the construction of two fully energy efficient homes in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent.

In news that will make life easier for many UK solar installers, from April 6 this year planning permission will no-longer be required to install solar PV or solar thermal on non-domestic buildings. The new rules will also mean that ground-mounted systems up to nine square metres will be able to go ahead without a planning application.

Government has today revealed plans for how to cut emissions from heating homes, businesses and industry in the UK. This news comes just days after the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) revealed an extension of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme and a delayed rollout to the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

Tim Yeo, MP for South Suffolk, has been named as the first ever President of the Renewable Energy Association (REA). Yeo joins the Association after serving in Government positions in trade and industry, transport, the environment and agriculture. He is also the current Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.

juwi Renewable Energies Limited has confirmed its commitment to the UK solar market by opening a new, larger office at Blythe Valley Park, near Birmingham.