week ending 15 June 2012
Diversity of Supply
If politicians and voters do want to see a different market develop, the current proposals in the Electricity Market Reform just play into the hands of the bigger players. Both seem to add to the complexity of the market (what happened to getting rid of red tape?) and make it more difficult for the non-traditional energy players such as the local authorities or communities to get involved. This is in stark contrast to the controversial Feed-in Tariff which, while it may have given the Treasury boys sleepless nights, actually brought about a small revolution. A revolution that saw over 320,000 new entrants into the energy market – many of which were social housing projects (over two thirds of Good Energy FIT customers are social housing) – and brought energy directly to people’s homes and businesses, cutting out the bigger players. No wonder there’s been such a backlash; by the back door we suddenly have hundreds of thousands of energy market players rather than just six – something any free market economist would welcome. It’s also a truly inspirational view of the future for the UK energy market.
Guardian 14th June 2012 more >>
Eco 2 Solar
Midlands-based renewable energy specialist Eco2Solar has signed a Preferred Supplier Agreement with FTSE 250 construction group, Galliford Try. The agreement will see the company midlands company take on its existing solar PV contracts as well as being provided an opportunity for all new solar energy contracts from June 2012.
Solar Portal 14th June 2012 more >>
Sustainable Homes
Rexel Renewables’ online arm, Natural Sparx, was in attendance for the opening of the UK’s first home designed to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5, the Rexel Sigma House at the BRE. The 100 percent energy efficient home was officially opened by property developer and TV presenter Sarah Beeny. The TV personality delivered an inspiring speech outlining how the push towards sustainable housing will be driven by innovation and education.
Solar Portal 14th June 2012 more >>
Energy Efficiency
The UK has denied it has created a stumbling block for the adoption of the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive that could see the regulation’s ambitious policy proposals watered down. Plans to cut energy use by 20 per cent against predicted levels by the end of the decade and impose a requirement for utilities to deliver energy savings equivalent to 1.5 per cent of annual sales have been the subject of intense negotiations since being proposed last year. But a final round of debate yesterday resulted in proposals that mean cuts to energy use of about 17 per cent and a one per cent target for energy companies.
Business Green 14th June 2012 more >>
Green Deal Accreditation
The government has today confirmed that businesses interested in offering Green Deal services will be able to register to take part in the high-profile energy efficiency scheme free of charge.
Business Green 14th June 2012 more >>
York Solar
Installation of photovoltaic panels on up to 780 City of York Council homes has begun under the terms of the current Feed-in Tariff (FiT). The work will be carried out prior to the recently-announced 1 August Feed-in Tariff degression at no cost to the council or to tenants. Social enterprise Empower Community and Nationwide Solar have spearheaded the scheme.
Green Building Press 13th June 2012 more >>
Solar Portal 13th June 2012 more >>
Solar Cuts
The Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker has been accused of “breathtaking arrogance” after the minister labeled a report into the domestic solar PV market by BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme as a “travesty”. The radio report quizzed David Hunt, Director of Eco Environments about the apparent slowing of the domestic solar PV market since DECC introduced prohibitive legislation and slashed the FiT rate by more than 50 percent. Hunt explained that his company had experienced a dramatic drop in the number of domestic solar PV enquiries and that the potential return on investment would fall further under DECC’s revised strategy, which will see the FiT rate cut further in August. When interviewed, Barker claimed that the report was a “complete travesty” and “totally out-of-step with what is happening in the industry.” Barker contested that the number of installations are actually growing, with installs “three times higher than a month ago.” Hunt said: “There is absolutely no evidence at all that the number of installations is growing at the huge rate he suggests or that they will grow when the feed-in-tariff is cut to 16p from August.
Solar Portal 13th June 2012 more >>
Energy Management 13th June 2012 more >>
Tesco Solar
Tesco has announced that it is extending its ‘Summer Solar Sale’ following the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s decision to maintain the current feed-in tariff (FiT) of 21p until August 1. The retail giant is urging customers to act quickly before the FiT rate is cut to 16p and the duration of payments drops from 25 to 20 years. Tesco’s Summer Solar campaign forms part of the company’s wider Home Efficiency drive.
Solar Portal 13th June 2012 more >>
Europe
The EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive, which has entered its final stages of negotiation, has missed the opportunity to give the cogeneration industry the incentives it needs to attract investors, according to Fiona Riddoch, managing director at COGEN Europe. Fiona Riddoch is the managing director of COGEN Europe, the European association for the promotion of cogeneration.
Euractiv 13th June 2012 more >>
Solar HQ
Sharp Solar is set to unveil a restructuring plan that will include moving its German headquarters to North Wales, in a move which will be seen as a major boost for the UK solar power industry in the wake of deep cuts to the feed-in tariff incentive. The company is expected to confirm plans at a conference in Munich this week to relocate its Hamburg heaquarters to Wrexham, Wales, where it already has a manufacturing plant employing 500 people.
Business Green 13th June 2012 more >>
Solar Crossroads
Edwin Koot, chief executive of Solarplaza, has claimed that the UK solar industry is at a crossroads in its development, stating that it’s now up to the industry players, and not the government, to shape the UK market for solar PV.
Energy Management 13th June 2012 more >>
Labour Policy Review
Labour will today formally launch a “fundamental and wide-ranging” green growth policy review designed to identify measures that can help stimulate the low carbon economy and create new green jobs. The review will be advised by a host of green business leaders and economic experts, including Solarcentury’s Jeremy Leggett, Matthew Spencer of the Green Alliance, Ecotricity’s Dale Vince, Dimitri Zenghelis from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, and PwC’s Paul Davies, as well as Iain Wright MP from the shadow business team and Cathy Jamieson MP from the shadow Treasury team.
Business Green 13th June 2012 more >>
Energy Saving Theatres
The arts and cultural sector has been urged to boost its use of onsite renewables and energy efficiency measures in a new guide designed to help theatres combat rising energy bills and funding cuts. The Theatres Trust and green advisory group Julie’s Bicycle today launched the first edition of a two-part guide to help leaders of arts organisations understand the strategic issues around energy use and develop long-term energy strategies for cultural buildings.
Business Green 12th June 2012 more >>
Solar Spring
According to Edwin Koot, chief executive of Solarplaza, the UK solar industry is at a crossroads in its development, the independent global knowledge platform for the solar PV industry. Mr Koot believes that it’s now up to the industry players, and not the government, to shape the UK market for solar PV. “The UK solar industry needs to reflect on what happened over the past 18 months. It can either throw in the towel or realise that there is a solar future – even without feed-in tariffs – and fight for its future.
IB Times 12th June 2012 more >>
Leicester Solar Offices
Property developer Westleigh Developments has celebrated exceeding its energy saving targets for the past year by investing £25,000 in solar panels at its head office. A total of 46 panels have now been installed on the roof of the firm’s office on Enderby Road, Whetstone.
Leicester Mercury 12th June 2012 more >>
Farming Renewables
Nearly a third of Britain’s farmers will be utilising some form of renewable energy generation by the autumn, according to a major new report that confirms the agricultural sector is driving demand for solar panels, small scale wind turbines, and renewable heat technologies. The National Farmers Union (NFU) and Natwest recently released the results of a survey of more than 400 farmers designed to assess the level of uptake of renewable energy technologies by the industry.
Business Green 12th June 2012 more >>
Solar Power Portal 11th June 2012 more >>
Renewable Heat Budget
The government will limit payments under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme to £70m during this financial year, and suspend the subsidy should take-up breach this level as part of plans to ensure the budget for the £860m scheme remains under control.
Business Green 11th June 2012 more >>
DECC has revealed that it has set an upper limit of £70 million for 2012/13, down from the initial proposed budget of £133 million. The department believes that the lower proposed year one budget will ensure that 2013/14’s budget of £251 million will support both existing and new installations should the budget be reached the prior year.
Solar Power Portal 12th June 2012 more >>
Renewable heat installers like Ardenham Energy will be given just a week’s notice of the suspension. Neil Lawson, head of renewable heat at Ardenham Energy, is understandable scathing of the news. He says: “No business can operate sustainably under these conditions. These proposals will stop the development of a specialist renewable heating sector in its tracks. The only way that businesses will be able to survive a peremptory suspension of the RHI will be to ensure that RHI-based work is only ever a minority of their work stream.
Green Energy.net 12th June 2012 more >>
Green Deal Legislation
The government today unveiled long-awaited secondary legislation in support of its flagship Green Deal energy efficiency scheme, vowing that the new initiative will create more than 30,000 new green jobs over the next three years alone.
Business Green 11th June 2012 more >>
Solar Power Portal 11th June 2012 more >>
The government’s flagship green policy to transform the energy efficiency of 14m homes and create 65,000 jobs appears set for failure, after revelation that its own impact assessment shows the number of lofts being lagged per year will plummet by 83%.
Guardian 11th June 2012 more >>
Solar Recovery
The solar industry has welcomed new figures revealing the market is gradually recovering from deep cuts to the popular feed in tariff incentive scheme, which effectively halted growth across the sector last month. Deployment of solar PV has increased steadily at around 620 kilowatts per week since the start of April, according to a report published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) late last week.
Business Green 11th June 2012 more >>
Dimplex
Dimplex is bucking the economic trend as its Dimplex Renewables division goes from strength to strength. The UK’s continuing move to a low carbon economy has seen Dimplex Renewables quadruple sales year-on-year, with increasing demand for renewable technology from the domestic, social housing and commercial sectors.
Heating & Plumbing Monthly 11th June 2012 more >>
Solar Centre
The BRE and Cornwall Council in the south west of England are joining forces on a proposal for a National Solar Centre in the region. The planned centre near St Austell would work with the solar industry to collect data and evidence from installations across the country to boost the sector’s proficiency and give confidence to end users. The body of knowledge gathered by the centre would be used to help optimise the long-term performance of photovoltaics and create quality, design and technical standards.
Energy Efficiency News 11th June 2012 more >>
Green Boost to Economy?
A Bank of England-sponsored solar panel for every roof in Britain to jump-start the stagnant UK economy? The suggestion, at an alternative economics conference a few weeks ago, brought a frown to the face of the BoE policymaker present, Adam Posen. But it nonetheless underlined a dilemma facing the Bank as it presides over an economy that has responded at best mildly to record low interest rates and a flood of bond buying. Since the solar panel idea was mooted, even bastions of economic orthodoxy such as the International Monetary Fund have urged the British central bank to find a better way to boost growth than what they have been doing.
Reuters 11th June 2012 more >>
Green Deal Chaos
Labour’s Shadow Climate Change Minister has accused the Coalition of allowing its flagship energy efficiency policy to spiral out of control, after it emerged that top companies had halted work on a crucial financing vehicle because of funding delays. BusinessGreen revealed on Friday that the 32 companies developing the Green Deal Financing Company, have suspended meetings until it receives a crucial £40m in government funding that is required to kick-start investments in new IT systems and an office.
Business Green 10th June 2012 more >>
School Turbine
Questions about the defunct wind turbine at Deanburn Primary School in Bo’ness will be put to Falkirk Council’s head of educational resources by the parent council next week. The £40,000 turbine stopped working in November 2006 after a part fell off, just 15 months after the £3m eco-school opened. Last autumn it emerged the turbine had effectively been decommissioned, after its manufacturer went into receivership and new safety recommendations suggested similar turbines needed a large exclusion zone. The school community now wishes to consider other renewable energy options like solar power.
Linlithgow Gazette 10th June 2012 more >>
Edinburgh Turbine
CAMPAIGNERS behind the bid to create Scotland’s first community-owned wind turbine have admitted they may take the scheme outside of Edinburgh after their chosen site was finally ruled out. Two community groups in east Edinburgh had planned to erect a wind turbine at Seafield sewage works but the Scottish Government said the site was no longer suitable. Developing on the land would prevent a future expansion of the works which serve the city, it said. Portobello Energy Descent and Land Reform (Pedal) and Greener Leith had together secured £200,000 in funding for the project. The turbine, which would cost between £1 million and £3.5m to build, could power between 300 and 1300 homes and money raised through the sale of the electricity would be pumped back into community projects, the groups said.
Scotsman 9th June 2012 more >>
STV 8th June 2012 more >>