policy

Energy minister Richard Harrington has admitted that the government’s evidence base for arguing solar can be deployed without subsidy consists of just one solar farm.

Government policy and regulation offer the biggest barriers to the deployment of battery energy storage in the UK according to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Energy Storage, which claims 12GW of batteries could be deployed by 2021 under the right circumstances.

Rooftop solar installations on new build housing will be driven mostly by Scotland and London for the foreseeable future, with opportunities for PV limited to certain geographies.

Stuart Elmes, whose company Viridian Solar secured an exclusive supply deal with housebuilder Persimmon Homes earlier this month, discusses the opportunity for solar PV in the new-build housing market.

The Association of British Ports has set course to become one of the largest corporate solar power producers in the UK by adding a further 20MW of PV to its facilities.

Changes at the top of the Solar Trade Association have continued with the appointment of two new chairs at its Scotland office.

All London boroughs are to ensure that all developments “maximise the opportunities for on-site electricity” from solar in the latest move by mayor Sadiq Khan to promote the technology.

On-site energy storage is “the way that you make the subsidy free package work” for large scale solar according to climate change minister Claire Perry who has pointed to Anesco’s Clay Hill solar farm as proof of why the technology so longer needs financial support from tax payers.

The Green Investment Group has launched a pay-as-you-save service aimed at stimulating take up of renewables within public and private organisations.

The Solar Trade Association has announced that Chris Hewett will take the reins as the trade body’s new chief executive.