week ending 15 March 2013
London Electricity
Solar generators in London may soon be able to sell electricity to the market at an increased rate following the city’s application for a Licence Lite. The Greater London Authority is the first authority to apply to Ofgem for the new type of electricity supply licence. Initially, the licence will allow the GLA to buy excess electricity produced by London’s boroughs and public bodies before selling it on, at cost price, to other public sector organisations, such as Transport for London, the Met Police and NHS hospitals.
Solar Portal 15th March 2013 more >>
Business Green 15th March 2013 more >>
Several London boroughs run generators to power public buildings, such as Islington’s Bunhill Heat and Power project, which uses a gas-fired generator to heat homes and local swimming pools. Westminster operates two gas-fired generators in Pimlico that heat homes, businesses and three schools. Excess energy produced at these sites is returned to the National Grid through a mainstream supplier at a variable wholesale rate of about 5 pence per kWh. The GLA would offer 20 to 30 per cent more for the boroughs’ excess as a way of encouraging growth in the low-carbon energy infrastructure.
FT 15th March 2013 more >>
Solar Farms
Solarcentury has this week announced that it is on track to complete up to 70MW of new solar farm capacity by the end of the month, ahead of imminent cuts to the level of support available to solar installations with more than 5MW of capacity. Separately, solar technology supplier Conergy announced yesterday that it was now supplying modules to four solar farms that are being developed by Spanish firm Solaer totalling 15.3MW of new capacity. The projects include a 5.8MW project in Somerset, as well as a 4MW project in Devon and a 3.3MW site in Buckinghamshire.
Business Green 15th March 2013 more >>
Solar Portal 15th March 2013 more >>
PV Tech 15th March 2013 more >>
Energy Efficiency White Goods
The UK energy debate is a noisy argument about the relative merits of different forms of generation. Whether it is fracking, nuclear, wind farms, clean coal, gas or solar there is always a vociferous group arguing their corner. Shouldn’t we be spending this intellectual effort considering how we might use less energy in the first instance? Global Action Plan’s new report Watts in the Kitchen has discovered that if all UK consumers who bought an A rated fridge-freezer in 2011 had purchased an A+++ rated appliance they would have made financial savings of £24m a year on their electricity bills. This would save 100,000 tonnes of carbon a year - equivalent to taking 33,000 cars off the road. Over the lifetime of the fridge-freezers, UK consumers would save £360 million, and enough energy to power 51,000 UK homes for a year - equivalent of a town the size of Exeter.
Business Green 15th March 2013 more >>
Solar Roadshow
After setting off five weeks ago, the Solar Power UK series of roadshows drew to a close this week up in Scotland, the final of the seven roadshow locations. The ‘Restarting the Market’ series attracted over 500 attendees reflecting the optimistic outlook of the UK solar industry for the future.
Solar Portal 15th March 2013 more >>
Europe
Europe’s green power and energy efficiency businesses are increasingly hopeful the EU will unveil a set of ambitious new targets for clean technologies and greenhouse gas emissions in its Green Paper later this month. The European Parliament yesterday approved a report on the Energy Roadmap 2050, and voted in favour of setting three post-2020 targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Business Green 15th March 2013 more >>
Dumfries & Galloway Plans
A council in southern Scotland is hoping to build a wind turbine to help reduce carbon emissions linked to street lighting. Dumfries and Galloway Council is looking to take the project forward. The authority-owned turbine would not power the lights directly but the electricity generated would be sold to the national grid and bought back. It is estimated the plan could save the council nearly £6m over 20 years and meet carbon emission reduction targets. Councillors have already agreed in principal to proposals for a 500 kilowatt turbine.
BBC 15th March 2013 more >>
Dumfries & Galloway Standard 15th March 2013 more >>
Good Energy Generators
A little bit of investigating recently revealed that the average Good Energy customer with a 4kW solar PV system will typically generate around 3,500kWh per year. When you also know that the average household uses around 3,300kWh per year, this becomes exciting; typically solar generators are actually producing more electricity over the course of a year than they use. Of course, this isn’t always used in the home but it demonstrates the potential of the technology.
Good Energy Blog 15th March 2013 more >>
This only way is Solar Farming
THE developers behind plans for one of Britain’s biggest solar power parks in the Essex countryside have rejected allegations that they failed to consult with the community. The bosses at Lightsource, which wants to build a 35-hectare solar development outside the village of Little Braxted, say they made every effort to contact people in the community ahead of a public consultation but hardly anyone turned up.
Essex Chronicle 15th March 2013 more >>
Disaster Fatigue
Dr. Hermann Scheer was among the seers warning of environmental fatigue years ago. Former German Parliamentarian and a pioneering architect of Germany’s clean energy policies, Scheer sharply criticized the environmental movement for cultivating despair and urged instead a focus on solutions, the cornerstone of which he advocated was transitioning to 100% renewable energy. Many of the world’s existential crises after all, including all those mentioned above, are largely or entirely rooted in dependence on non-renewable fossil and nuclear energy sources. Results of latest polls tracking support for renewable energy suggest maybe Scheer and his ilk were on to something. Recent polls from the U.S. and Europe show desire for replacing conventional energy with renewables is on the rise.
Huffington Post 14th March 2013 more >>
Green Deal
Ed Davey: The green deal is helping the people of Britain stay warm for less, and today’s first official numbers are a clear sign that it’s hit the ground running. The green deal lets homes and businesses pay for energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation or a new heating system, through savings on their fuel bills. A typical three-bed semi could save around £270 a year with solid wall insulation alone.
Guardian 14th March 2013 more >>
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) this morning unveiled figures showing that 1,803 people had their properties assessed for a Green Deal package between the end of January and the end of February. The government said it was encouraged by the early adoption rates for its flagship scheme, which allows households and businesses to undertake energy efficiency improvements at no upfront cost and then make repayments using the money saved from the resulting reduction in energy bills.
Guardian 14th March 2013 more >>
Solar Portal 14th March 2013 more >>
The government has today confirmed that nearly 2,000 homes have been assessed for Green Deal energy efficiency packages since the scheme launched in January. But is that in line with expectations, is it a good result, or is it well short of industry hopes? The UK’s insulation industry is desperately hoping the new Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes will reboot their market, following the end of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme last year, which led to a slump in demand. So what hope does industry have that the 1,803 Green Deal assessments mark the start of a recovery that will both spark economic growth and improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s appallingly drafty building stock? John Alker, director of policy and communications at the UK Green Building Council, said the figures showed that there was encouraging momentum building behind the Green Deal and that providers were successfully promoting the scheme. “While much of this activity will have been driven by DECC-funded local authority projects, it still demonstrates that the public are taking note of the scheme and getting involved,” he said.
Business Green 14th March 2013 more >>
Leeds Solar Farm
OAKAPPLE Renewable Energy has submitted plans to create a 33-acre solar farm in Leeds, which could provide enough electricity to power 2,100 homes a year. The planned £9m Haigh Hall Solar Farm would be installed on low grade agricultural land in Tingley, near Leeds. If planning permission is granted, it will have 32,000 solar panels mounted on steel frames.
Yorkshire Post 14th March 2013 more >>
Western Solar
A surge in applications for renewable energy projects has left parts of the Westcountry power network close to capacity. The so-called solar “gold rush” has pushed up the amount of electricity which can be generated by almost 60% during 2011/12 with potential output expected to jump by the same amount over the year to April.
Western Morning News 14th March 2013 more >>
Building Integrated Photo Voltaics (BIPV)
Kingspan Group, a UK-based provider of sustainable products for the construction industry, has developed an innovative insulated BIPV module for industrial and commercial rooftops which is expected to “revolutionise” the BIPV market. The new Kingspan Power Panel which was on display at Ecobuild, a trade show held in London, UK, last week is composed of a 240w module supplied by Yingli Green Energy with insulation attached to the back. The wires are encased within the insulation and lead to a junction box located at the top of the module.
Solar Portal 14th March 2013 more >>
Solar Dumping
The Solar Trade Association (STA) has published an EC anti-dumping factsheet to help members of the UK solar industry understand the potential impact of the ongoing investigation. The association last week told Solar Power Portal that it would be opposing any imposition of European trade duties and Ray Noble, PV Specialist for the STA described the registration of Chinese-imported modules as “not a good news story”.
Solar Portal 14th March 2013 more >>
The threat of European duties on Chinese-manufactured modules is the industry’s most pressing issue according to a series of interviews conducted by Solar Power Portal. The European Commission is currently investigating three separate cases that could have a significant impact on the UK solar industry: an anti-dumping investigation, an anti-subsidy investigation and the level of VAT for ‘energy-saving materials’.
Solar Portal 13th March 2013 more >>
Motivation for Local Authorities
Two to three times a week I cycle to work, not primarily to reduce my carbon footprint but because it helps me to keep fit and saves money. I have solar panels on my house because the financial rate of return is far higher than I get in a savings account. I am also pleased that a by-product of these two acts is a reduction in my carbon footprint. This is the philosophy behind Nottingham’s approach to the environment: enlightened self-interest, and, on the whole, it works. In particular it explains why the main thrust of the City Council’s approach to carbon reduction is to concentrate on energy production and consumption because this is where a green philosophy and self-interest most readily coincide.
Green Alliance 13th March 2013 more >>
Community Energy
Uniquely among the three main parties in Britain, the Liberal Democrat approach to politics is generally to strive for local solutions to problems -underpinned by a belief that issues are best addressed with reference to the communities and circumstances within which they manifest. So how can we address the large-scale national energy problem the UK faces without losing sight of our localist and liberal principles? Combining the liberal principles of localism, agency and genuine competition with an acceptance that centralised energy generation is inherently unfit for purpose can only lead to one conclusion. We need to enable, as far as possible, the production and supply of our energy requirements to be taken back to the communities and the people for whom it is being created in the first place. We need a new era of localised community energy.
Business Green 13th March 2013 more >>
More FiT Cuts
Payments given to homeowners with solar panels are to be cut sooner than expected. The government has announced that the current Feed-in tariff (FIT) rates will be reduced earlier than planned. The Feed-in tariff pays homeowners who have solar panels, hydroelectric systems, micro combined heat and power systems, anaerobic digesters or wind turbines. Originally, panels installed and registered between 1st May 2013 and 1st August 2013 would have benefited from the current rates, but the next reduction will now take place a month earlier. Existing panel owners will not be affected by the next set of cuts.
Which 13th March 2013 more >>
Solar Costs Plummet
The global deployment of renewable energy from wind, solar and biofuels grew in 2012 but the income from the sector remained flat due to the plummeting costs for solar photovoltaic panels.
Guardian 13th March 2013 more >>
Green Deal Finance
The government yesterday put the last piece in place for its flagship Green Deal energy efficiency scheme, as it prepares to reveal much-anticipated figures on how the initiative has performed since being launched in late January. Climate Change Minister Greg Barker signed an agreement to release £244m of funding to the non-profit Green Deal Finance Company, which will provide finance packages for homes and businesses seeking to fit approved energy efficiency measures.
Business Green 13th March 2013 more >>
Sun Energy Up North
Tenants living in Riverside Housing’s accommodation are set to be the first to benefit from the partnership with work already under way to install solar PV on approximately 6,000 homes across the North of England. Riverside Housing hopes that the solar PV arrays will help lift some of the most deprived communities out of fuel poverty while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions.
Solar Portal 13th March 2013 more >>
Scottish Energy Assistance Package
MORE than 300,000 poorer households will be eligible for free insulation and heating from next month. The measures are supported by £16 million announced by housing and welfare minister Margaret Burgess. “Basic measures such as cavity wall insulation or a new boiler can make a huge difference to Scottish families who are struggling to make ends meet, allowing them to heat their homes more cost-effectively,” she said. “It is my belief that everyone should live in a safe, warm home that doesn’t cost the earth to keep.” The money extends the Energy Assistance Package by two years. It is part of a £79 million energy efficiency and fuel poverty programme in Scotland this year.
Daily Record 12th March 2013 more >>
Community Energy Scotland
A drive is underway to encourage more communities across Scotland to find greener alternative energy. Local communities and charities are being encouraged to work together on projects to help reach renewable targets set by the Scottish Government.
STV 12th March 2013 more >>
Solar climbs to 7MW per week
The latest solar installation figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show a marked increase in domestic-scale solar installations over the last month. For the week ending 3 March, 1,849 installations were registered in the 0-50kWp band, accounting for 6.98MW of new capacity.
Solar Portal 12th March 2013 more >>
Solar Duo
A POOLE-based company which builds solar parks has entered a new partnership with one of the country’s leading solar power companies. Construction and civil engineering company Stepnell built 20 per cent of the UK’s capacity in solar parks as of 2011. It has teamed with EvoEnergy will enable both companies to strengthen their leadership positions in the UK solar energy market.
Dorset Business 12th March 2013 more >>
Glasgow Schemes
HUNDREDS of tenants in a deprived area of Glasgow could see fuel bills cut by up to 60% as a result of two £19million ‘eco’ schemes. Queen’s Cross Housing Association will launch the first project of its kind in Scotland at 542 flats in the Woodside area. The EcoPod system combines highly efficient boilers with solar powered panels, installed on the roof, which generate additional heat. The project will also boost employment by providing apprenticeships for around 10 local 16-19 year olds. Work is due to begin this month. A second green energy system will provide heating and hot water to 448 flats in four multi-storey properties in Westercommon. Ground source heat pumps use a series of underground pipes to collect stored solar energy from the earth. The system has been shown to reduce energy bills by more than 60%. Westercommon and Woodside are among the 15% most deprived areas in Scotland.
Glasgow Evening Times 11th March 2013 more >>
Green Deal & Scotland
It’s a dilemma confronting households up and down the country – how do you make your home more energy efficient to offset the repeated warnings that fuel bills will only continue to rise in the future? The government believed it had come up with the solution in Green Deal – a flagship eco-programme designed to cut carbon emissions, create jobs and reduce the nation’s fuel bills. Sadly, Green Deal has failed to live up to expectation. Although it has had a UK launch twice – first in the autumn and again on January 28 this year – few people have heard of it. But the position is all the more frustrating in Scotland as the programme is not yet fully operational in this country, meaning that assessments are not able to take place at properties. Details of when the Green Deal will hit Scotland are still vague and is leaving householders who want to make energy improvements to their home in a quandary.
Scotsman 9th March 2013 more >>
Lothian AD
The City of Edinburgh and Midlothian Councils have signed a major deal with a private sector company to build an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility capable of recycling Edinburgh and Midlothian’s food waste. It’s the very first collaborative waste project of its kind in Scotland. Alauna Renewable Energy (ARE) has agreed a 20-year deal to build and operate the plant on behalf of the Councils, following its successful appointment as preferred bidder last year.
Caledonian Mercury 6th March 2013 more >>