Solar Markets & Finance

Figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change this morning show a significant increase in deployment for December 2015, but the industry has reacted with claims the rush is not as large as previously expected.

Germany-headquartered BayWa r.e. has continued its latest run of solar farm sales by offloading yet another project to compatriot insurance firm Munich Re.

The UK’s solar industry installed almost 23,000 systems in December 2015 as consumers rushed to have rooftop PV fitted prior to the new feed-in tariff regime.

The curtains closed on 2015 with the government preparing to put its new feed-in tariff regime into place, changing the playing field for what looks certain to be an up-and-down year ahead.

The latest government figures for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) have shown small solar thermal systems accounted for just 2% of non-domestic applications, while the technology fared better in the domestic market at 12%.

The BRE National Solar Centre yesterday launched two new guides on solar storage systems, one of which has been aimed specifically at installers in the space.

Although Britain’s government has cut support for renewable energy severely in the past few months, controversially claiming a need to balance the transition away from fossil fuels against the cost to consumers, energy storage might face less of a challenge at the top level, according to speakers at a conference in London.

Solar developer Elgin Energy is planning a 23MW solar farm at the site of a former RAF airfield in Gloucester, claiming that it could become one of the UK’s first subsidy-free projects.

A solar array at Leicester’s Community Sports Arena has been completed just in time for the installation to benefit from the higher rate of feed-in tariff no longer available to new projects.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has estimated that the European Commission’s minimum import price on solar panels is inflating construction costs by “10 to 14%”.