Large-Scale Solar

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.

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”.

Ingliston Country Club on the outskirts of Glasgow has finished work on one of Scotland’s largest solar projects to date. The 120kW system cost £380,000 and spans 820m2 of roof space on the country club’s 200-stable horse riding centre.

Solar module producer and distributor aleo solar has joined together with Low Carbon Exchange (LCE) and Tigo Energy under the consortium name LCX Solar for the supply of premium modules and inverters to UK housing association Alliance Homes. The signed framework agreement allows for the delivery of a comprehensive service portfolio from a single source.

The University of Nottingham’s Creative Energy Homes ‘Green Close’ is now home to Mark Group’s C60 research house, which is designed to demonstrate how a range of different renewable and energy saving technologies, including solar power, can work together.

Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, part of the Pennaf Housing Group, is to invest £2 million in solar panels for 300 of its tenants. Building contractors Lovell Partnerships and their sub-contractors SolarTech have been appointed to carry out the work.

Following on from the recent success in the UK solar market, Oskomera Solar Power Solutions (OSPS) has announced that it built more than 12MWp of large-scale ground and rooftop PV projects before the August 1 FiT deadline. OSPS was responsible for the full EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) works for these projects for a variety of clients.

Peterborough-based businesses Perkins Engines and Meadow Foods have submitted planning applications for the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of their city plants. Both companies hope to reduce their carbon emissions while making a profit from the UK’s feed-in tariff scheme.

Bradford Cathedral is set to become the first in the UK, and possibly the world, to install solar photovoltaics after it received permission from the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England (CFCE), English Heritage and the local council. Solar panels will now be installed along the entire South Aisle roof, taking into consideration…

Home furnishings giant IKEA has revealed plans to reduce its carbon emissions as well as its dependence on fossil fuels. By investing a total of £4 million, the company intends to install more than 39,000 solar panels across 10 of its UK-based stores, providing approximately 5% of each building’s electricity needs.