Commercial & Residential Solar

Leading cadmium telluride thin-film photovoltaic solar module manufacturer, Abound Solar, has received UK Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation for its AB1-series of photovoltaic modules.

Engensa recently installed the UK’s first micro-converter, a new technology that enables millions of otherwise unsuitable roofs to be used for solar PV by eliminating many of the problems associated with shading. The inverter was manufactured by SolarEdge, an Israeli-based leader in PV power optimization.

Vogt Solar has now officially submitted plans for the 5MW solar plant to be constructed on land to the north of Bourn, Cambridgeshire. The District Council will now process the intended project, which could power up to 1,200 homes. The farm, which would be over 38 acres of land, with a third of the land being covered by solar panels, was originally announced at the end of last year.

Plans are now on display for a 5MW solar farm to be constructed on the outskirts of Swindon. Local residents and farmers met at the Roves Farm Visitor Centre, Sevenhampton, to find out more about the £12m project, and its effect on the area.

Kyoto, Japan-based manufacturer Kyocera has launched the “Solar Power Expo” website, which has been created to educate all ages about the use of solar power and to promote how solar energy can help tackle the environmental problems that the world faces daily.

Solar Guide, the free online resource for homeowners and engineers, has launched a new version of its solar photovoltaic (PV) feed-in tariff calculator, which can now be embedded on other solar websites.

Redland’s newly introduced PV tile system is proving its effectiveness by generating more power than anticipated in computer modelling, reaching 3.4kW of electricity at peak output at one of its first UK installations for roofing contractors Steadfast Roofing.

St Michael's Catholic High School, in High Elms Lane, Watford has fended off 1,000 other schools in the UK to win the nationwide solar power competition sponsored by British Gas.

Social housing body, the Peabody Trust, has allocated £23 million to spend on installing solar panels on its London-based housing. The move, which is one of the most generous schemes to be carried out by a social housing provider, is aimed at making Peabody a carbon neutral business by 2020.

Wirsol has completed its first UK solar project, installing a 29.6 kilowatt system at Sharnbrook School in Bedfordshire. The leading German solar provider, which has recently opened a UK-based office, completed the installation in just five working days.