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The south coast town of Bordon in East Hampshire has recently been unveiled as the UK’s latest ‘eco-town’ and is currently embarking upon a number of green initiatives. One such initiative has seen Bordon Junior School install a photovoltaic energy roof system a part of a ‘grand eco scheme’.

Tenesol has become the latest solar module manufacturer to receive the Government's Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation. The certification, which is a prerequisite in order to sell PV systems in the UK under the feed-in tariff (FiT), has been awarded to Tenesol’s advanced modules.

The UK’s largest land owner, the Crown Estate, has given solar power its stamp of approval by installing a 164.5kWp rooftop system on a stone factory on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Albion Stone, the owner of the factory, will save thousands of pounds on its annual electricity bill thanks to the system, which is expected to generate 150,000 kWh a year. Electricity generated from the £500,000 installation will be sold to Albion Stone at a reduced rate, with any surplus fed in to the National Grid.

Kettering-based Street Energy is launching a new scheme offering free PV systems for over 500 Midlands homes. The arrangement will see Street Energy utilise the ‘roof-lease’ model, whereby it will receive the benefits of the Government’s feed-in tariff (FiT) in exchange for installing the 2.8kW systems at no cost to the homeowner.

Reading Borough Council is considering installing solar panels on the town’s schools and council buildings in an attempt to tackle escalating energy costs. On Wednesday the council’s cabinet met to discuss the feasibility of the £5 million solar scheme.

Sputnik’s SolarMax inverters will convert the electricity from Solarcentury's recently-completed 5MW plant to the UK power grid. The system, located on Mingay Farm in Cambridgeshire, is the joint largest development in the country and was installed before the FiT-reduction deadline.

HomeSun is launching a new campaign to help raise awareness about the UK’s solar subsidy scheme. The campaign is being run with the help of public relations agency Hanover and aims to boost solar installations among residential users nationwide.

Four of the UK’s most respected solar brands have launched a new campaign to educate homeowners to about solar technology. The Our Solar Britain initiative will offer a range of resources and social media profiles on its website to provide advice and respond to questions on everything from feed-in tariffs to environmental benefits.

Wire Belt has enlisted the help of Riomay Renewable Energies to build a 98.7kWp PV system at its production facility in Sittingbourne, Kent. The rooftop array will generate 82,972kWh per annum and save the stainless steel conveyor belt manufacturer around £2,400 on its annual energy bill.

While Whitehall has done its best to undermine the UK solar industry over the past six months, many figures in local government continue to pledge their support for the sector. Jeremy Birch, the leader of Hastings Borough Council, is latest municipal politician to do just this after urging residents to make Hastings into a “solar-powered town”.