Commercial & Residential Solar

Over 70% of local authorities across the UK have no strategy in place to invest in solar, with almost half pointing to a lack of incentives from government as the main barrier to deploying council solar, according to a survey carried out by LG Solar.

A recap of the biggest news from the last week in UK solar and storage, including yet another critique of the governments management of the LCF and the STA ramping up the pressure over the business rates increase.

Seven primary schools in the Glasgow area are to be fitted with solar panels with a combined total capacity of 350kWp under plans by the city council to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020.

Liam Stoker challenges energy minister Jesse Norman’s claim that the government’s feed-in tariff overhaul has placed solar on the path to a subsidy-free future.

Rebecca Long-Bailey has been appointed shadow secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy in place of Clive Lewis, who stepped down in opposition to Jeremy Corbyn’s three-line whip in favour of the Article 50 bill.

The Solar Trade Association is ramping up its campaign against a proposed increase in solar business rates, aiming to secure a U-turn ahead of new rates coming into force on 1 April 2017.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has become the latest government body to have found the government guilty of severe mismanagement of the Levy Control Framework (LCF).

Nominations for the Solar Power Portal Awards 2017 are now open, and the residential solar PV award returns once again.

Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) are not a new feature of the UK solar market, but since the cuts enacted to the feed-in tariff last year they have risen to new prominence. David Pratt examines how these deals are made, and what benefits they offer to both sides.

North Ayrshire Council has approved plans to investigate interest among its social housing tenants for the installation of solar PV on around 500 homes in an attempt to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions in the region.