News

The rebellion against the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) proposal to cut solar feed-in tariffs from December 12 is expected to gather momentum as Liberal Democrat councillors prepare to revolt. A large portion of councillors are now faced with angry solar supporters who fear imminent job cuts as a direct result of the deadline.

Amidst the news that UK unemployment has reached £2.62 million, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has urged UK plc to reconsider its approach to skills training and is calling for the private and public sectors, employer associations and the Government to work together to establish new, more accessible routes into employment.

Lincolnshire-based renewable energy distributor Eco Building Products has announced its sponsorship of the New College Stamford football team. The kit sponsorship deal is part of the development of new sports teams at the college including football, rugby and triathlon. Eco Building Products is assisting with funds for the supply of team kit for the new football squad.

This week several news sources have reported that Sharp Solar “could quit the UK” after Government announced its intention to cut solar feed-in tariffs by more than 50 percent from December 12…

Global solar PV installations will reach 24GW in 2011 according to a new report published by IMS Research. Solar PV installations are predicted to rise by 24 percent in 2011, up from 19GW in 2010. The report has also predicted that European installations will rise by just 3 percent, with Italy set to displace Germany as the world’s largest solar PV market.

Ashford Borough Council is set to cancel the rollout of solar panels on council-owned buildings in the wake of the proposal to reduce subsidies for solar PV technology.

Corporate Strategist Oliver Rothschild has joined the board of Bluesky, an aerial surveying company based in Leicestershire. Rothschild will help complement Bluesky’s green agenda in his role as Non-Executive Director through his experience in a variety of industries and diverse range of business interests.

During winter the average price of gas will rise by 17.4 percent with electricity rising by 10.8 percent. The price hikes are conveniently timed to correspond with the nation’s peak demand; however, a significant proportion of UK residents are willing to forgo heating this winter in an attempt to save money.

Renewable energy firm, Stiebel Eltron UK, has reported strong trading results for the first nine months of 2011, with turnover up by 41 percent on last year. The firm reported that turnover had increased by 100 percent for October against the same period in 2010. A strong year of sales and expansion into new sectors are being attributed as the main cause behind the growth.

Despite the fact that many others are throwing in the solar power towel due to feed-in tariff cuts, North East-based OPUS Green is ploughing ahead with its £1.9 million contract with Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) to install solar PV on over 30 of the housing blocks the company manages.