News

Suntech Power, the world's largest producer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules, has now received official certification under the UK Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for its modules.

UK photovoltaic glass company, Romag, experienced an 11% fall in turnover to £9.1m in what the company describes as a “turbulent year.” However, since the announcement of the feed-in tariff, sales have began to pick up moving the specialist glass maker back into the black at the operating level, with profits of £301,000 in the first half to March 31 compared with a loss of £1.3m previously.

Now that the UK feed-in tariff is in place, UK farmers are set for some good news. As opposed to using their cropland for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems, they can use the often-large rooftop surfaces to generate renewable electricity.

The UK government has announced that as of 06.00 am this morning (May 24) the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP), which has supplied grants for microgeneration technologies for households, community organisations, schools, the public sector and businesses in the UK since 2006, is closed.

Euro-Line Solar has formed an exclusive partnership in order to promote the Dorfmueller Solaranlagen DMI inverter series to the UK solar photovoltaics market. Through this agreement, Euro-Line Solar will become the sales and marketing extension for the UK. The DMI inverters, manufactured for the on-grid photovoltaic solar market, have been introduced in-line with the newly announced feed-in tariff scheme in the UK.

Khosla Ventures, the venture assistance firm that focuses on cleantech and information technology startups, has formed a strategic partnership with Tony Blair Associates.

The MANCAT sixth form college in Manchester features Sharp modules on a two-storey solar façade. This installation was inspired by the installation at the CIS Tower.

This grid-connected roof mounted PV Array was installed by Ardenham Energy and commissioned by South Facing at the West Oxford Community Centre on the Botley Road in Oxford.

This grid connected roof mounted PV system, installed at Hawthorns School in Berkshire, has been installed and commissioned by Ardenham Energy after development work by TV Energy and Wokingham Borough Council.

The Amersham & Wycombe College installed solar photovoltaics onto the roof of a building at its Chesham campus, since the college was offering installer-training courses, which would lead to the City & Guilds certificate 2372, "Installing & Testing Photovoltaic (PV) Systems". The College felt that lecturers and students would find it beneficial having a local system, which they could actually experience the benefits of.