News

A survey of 500 environmental graduates has found that 80 percent believe the number of green jobs will continue to rise in the future, despite the current economic downturn.

Renewable energy specialist Solarsense has received an International Green Hero award in recognition of the environmental initiatives the company has implemented at its headquarters near Bristol.

Earlier this month the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission negotiators reached an agreement on the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. The long-awaited deal sets out a number of binding measures that will be used to achieve targets, including the EU goal of improving energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2020.

An independent survey of 500 employers in England and Wales has found that less than one in five employers believe school pupils are inspired to take up a career in engineering or manufacturing industries.

A new green fund, launched in conjunction with Leads2Trade, is expected to provide new opportunities for renewable energy installers looking to provide energy saving technologies for UK home and business owners.

According to the latest research from E.ON a quarter of UK homeowners have not insulated their loft as they are worried about the process being too messy, too difficult or because they have too much clutter to move out of the way. These statistics, from research carried out by OnePoll with 2,000 respondents in August 2011, have been recorded despite the fact that many energy providers offer the service free of charge.

Last week the European Commission ordered Government to remove the legislation that currently allows reduced VAT rates for “green” goods and services on the grounds that it failed to comply with the EU’s VAT Directive. Today, after concerns were raised about the true impact of this move, the European Commission has offered the UK a way round a ruling.

Last night the Renewable Energy Association (REA) held its 7th annual British Renewable Energy Awards in London. Paying tribute to the UK renewable energy industry’s achievements in the last 12 months the event saw more than 300 attendees meet at the boutique Kensington hotel in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower.

Solar manufacturer Trina Solar has now completed the installation of a new solar system at the headquarters of the Lotus F1 Team in Enstone, Oxfordshire. Capable of producing more than 30,000kWh of solar energy each year, the system will be used to power the new Lotus F1 Team simulator, which reproduces lifelike driving conditions for research and optimisation without putting a real car on a racetrack.

The most recent monthly installation figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) suggest that the UK solar industry is finally recovering from the disruption experienced at the beginning of this year.