Solar Markets & Finance

The Cornish town of Wadebridge is to become home to a new solar scheme, launched to finance and promote enough solar power to generate 30% of the town’s needs by 2015.

Leading German project developer juwi, which announced its entry into the UK solar market in August this year, has named Birmingham as the location for its subsidiary “juwi Renewable Energies Ltd.” Over the next two years, juwi is expected to install over 60MW…

During Parliamentary Questions yesterday (November 11) the Minister of State for Climate Change, Gregg Barker delivered what could be a tremendous blow for the UK solar industry. As with any discussion on climate change at present, it wasn’t long before the topic of feed-in tariffs (FiT) came up…

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published its business plan for the course of the current parliament, outlining its priorities over the coming five years and establishing a timeline for the roll out of its key policy proposals.

Almost 4,000 employees at Cornish roof contractor ROK will be concerned about their future this morning as the company falls into administration. Months after revealing ‘serious failings’ in the financial control of its plumbing arm the company has struggled to stay afloat.

Scottish Southern Energy (SSE) has launched a new solar photovoltaic offering for its customers, enabling them to benefit from free renewable electricity. Following in the footsteps of the likes of A Shade Greener and ISIS Solar, SSE will install solar for free, and will reap the reward of the feed-in tariff.

German solar pioneer Wagner & Co has joined forces with one of the leading suppliers of photovoltaic equipment in southern England, AC Solartechnic. The new joint venture, named Wagner Solar UK, will do business beginning in November from AC Solartechnic´s present site in Sidlesham, near Chichester, West Sussex.

Since the news that the incentives for solar power will be left alone for the time being, the industry’s response has been overwhelmingly positive.  Dave Sowden, Chief Executive of the Micropower Council said, “This news marks the start of a true Citizens’ Energy Revolution. The Government has sent a clear signal to homes, businesses and investors that the UK Microgeneration sector is now well and truly open for business."

As the Solar Power Portal team came into the office this morning there were smiles on faces in the wake of George Osborne’s day of axe wielding drama. This, I suspect, is not the scene in many other buildings across London. It seems almost miraculous that after what is being labelled the ‘biggest round of cutbacks in generations’ the solar feed-in tariff escaped unscathed – for now at least.

Chancellor George Osborne stood up in the House of Commons at 12.30pm today to detail the coalition government's Comprehensive Spending review.Finally, after a long and tedious wait, we finally know what lies in the future for solar feed-in tariffs in the UK.