week ending 29 March 2013
Green Deal & PV
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed that Green Deal finance can be used to part-fund the cost of installing solar PV. How the Green Deal and Feed-in Tariffs works together sets out in detail how the two schemes work together following a period of uncertainty. According to the document, the amount of Green Deal finance available will depend on how much money a proposed solar array will save homeowners on their electricity bill. Crucially, even if the amount saved is not enough to fund the entire cost of the installation, Green Deal finance can be used to pay for part of the cost.
Solar Portal 28th March 2013 more >>
Bentley goes Solar
Bentley Motors has taken another step towards going green by installing the UK’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array on top of their factory in Crewe. The 5MWp installation owned by UK company Lightsource Renewable Energy includes 20,000 PV panels and cost £7m. Instead of paying Bentley to rent the roof, the company provide the car maker with cheaper electricity than their current provider, with price increases only indexed to inflation over the next 25 years. When operating at peak levels the panels will produce up to 40% of Bentley’s power requirement. The system will also have a two way connection so that during the summer, weekends and shutdown periods any excess energy they generate can be fed back into the National Grid.
Solar Portal 28th March 2013 more >>
Automotive World 28th March 2013 more >>
PV-tech 28th March 2013 more >>
Solar Portal 28th March 2013 more >>
Fife School has Quiet Revolution
THE planning application for the inclusion of a wind turbine at the site of the new Auchmuty High School was approved by Glenrothes Area Committee. The ‘Quiet Revolution’ vertical axis turbine, which will stand at a height of 26 metres, is to be positioned between the new main school building and the proposed tennis courts, directly south of the A911 Queensway. Unlike conventional turbines, which commonly have extended propeller-like blades, the one to be installed will have a cylindrical rotor design that measures eight metres in height.
Fife Press 28th March 2013 more >>
Fuel Poverty
The UK comes bottom of a fuel poverty league table for western Europe, according to new research released today. Woeful levels of insulation in this country’s homes are sending energy bills through the roof for people in the UK, according to the figures from the Association for the Conservation for Energy and the Energy Bill Revolution campaign. Although most other European countries face higher energy prices than those of the UK, better quality home insulation means our European neighbours pay less to heat their homes. The heat leaking from the UK’s homes is condemning over five million households to fuel poverty this winter, and this number is predicted to rise to eight million within the next four years.
Energy Bill Revolution 28th March 2013 more >>
UK PV Market
The market share of the UK will approach 10% of global PV demand this quarter and the UK market will exceed the 0.5GW level for the first time ever in a single quarter. This has also come amidst a climate that, during the past three months in the UK, has not really been indicative of a vibrant PV industry. In fact, even during the past few weeks, there has been a wealth of conflicting messages that has dominated local news, and has certainly been prioritised over any undue PV euphoria.
Solar Portal 28th March 2013 more >>
Bosch
Bosch has announced it will sell or shut down its loss-making solar energy operations. According to the Reuters news agency, Bosch Solar has lost 2.4 billion euros (2 billion pounds) since it created the solar energy unit in 2008 after it bought Aleo Solar and Ersol. It made a 1 billion euro loss last year.
Renewable Energy Focus 27th March 2013 more >>
Micro CHP
A report by Ecuity Consulting sets out the vision of leading micro CHP companies about how it can effectively engage with Smart Grid technology to ‘revolutionise home heating.’ The report provides suggestions for a support framework to allow consumers who let their heating system also power their house be rewarded for the full value they bring to the energy system.
Co-generation & On-site Power Prodiction 26th March 2013 more >>
Fuel Cell Today 26th March 2013 more >>
Renewable Energy Focus 27th Match 2013 more >>
The Role of Micro-CHP in a Smart Energy World.
Ecuity March 2013 more >>
RHI Delay
A programme offering payments to householders who install renewable heat technologies will be pushed back until spring 2014, the government confirmed today, while also unveiling a new national heat strategy. Details of how the domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme will work and tariff levels will now be published in the summer, the date the government said last year the programme would start.
Business Green 26th March 2013 more >>
Solar Portal 27th March 2013 more >>
Renewable Energy Focus 28th March 2013 more >>
DECC has set out the next steps for the heat strategy launched a year ago to deliver affordable low-carbon heating in the UK. Energy Secretary Edward Davey reiterated the government’s commitment to “driving forward the move to low carbon alternatives to help meet renewables targets”. He said: “If we can increase the use of low-carbon heating in our homes, businesses and across our economy, we can help reduce our dependence on costly carbon-intense fossil fuels. The Renewable Heat Premium Payment, meanwhile, is being extended to the end of 2014 ahead of the launch of the RHI for householders. The scheme, launched in July 2011, offers money off renewable heating kit such as biomass boilers, solar thermal panels and heat pumps. It was due to close at the end of this month.
Renews 26th March 2013 more >>
DECC Press Release 26th March 2013 more >>
Solar Farming
Competitive installation packages might seem attractive, but buyers need to check what is included and the quality of the panels, warns Giles Hanglin of Savills Energy. Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) rates for solar PV schemes smaller than 50kw are being maintained until the end of June and this is expected to prompt renewed interest in the technology. Rates are reviewed quarterly, with the level of take-up dictating future payment rates. FiTs for schemes larger than 50kw will be cut by 3.5% from 1 May 2013. Most agricultural roof-mounted solar PV installations are just below the 50kw bracket and cost anywhere between £52,000-62,000, depending on the building structure and roof material, said Mr Hanglin.
Farmers Weekly 26th March 2013 more >>
Solar Vacuum Cleaners
SunGift Solar, a South West renewable energy specialist, has completed a 250 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system for Numatic International. Numatic, who manufacturer the instantly recognisable Henry vacuum, say that the panels will reduce their carbon emissions by more than 120 tonnes per year. Generating an estimated 235,000 kW hours each year, the system stretches over three roofs at Numatic’s manufacturing facility in Chard, Somerset, which produces around 5000 products a day. The £250,000 system will help power the factory’s 34 computer-controlled injection-moulding machines.
The Manufacturer 26th March 2013 more >>
Western Morning News 27th March 2013 more >>
Green Deal & Landlords
The majority of the UK’s landlords have “no plans” to let their tenants take advantage of the government’s Green Deal, a new survey has revealed. The Green Deal, which launched at the end of January, lets participants pay for energy-saving improvements over time on their electricity bill. But according to SPSenvirowall’s research, only 36.6 percent of respondents said their organisation planned to let tenants use the scheme, compared to 21.4 percent who had no plan and 42 percent who were undecided.
24 Dash 25th March 2013 more >>
Hospital Biomass Power
The Green Investment Bank will provide £18m towards funding a biomass energy centre to power two Cambridge hospitals, marking the institution’s first investment in the NHS. Non-domestic energy efficiency is a one of four core sectors the £3bn bank has targeted, along with financing for the Green Deal, waste, and offshore wind.
Business Green 25th March 2013 more >>
Solar Future
The energy that comes out of solar panels is renewable, but what about the panels themselves? Not so much. Today’s leading solar panels owe their high sunlight-to-electricity conversion rates to the use of rare elements, such as indium, gallium and selenium.But if current production trends continue unchecked, supplies of indium in particular will be depleted in less than a decade. The pressure is on, therefore, to find a way of making solar power even more sustainable. Researchers are exploring other options, and IBM Research believes it may have found an answer. Alongside its partners, Solar Frontier, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo and DelSolar, the company has announced that it has achieved a 10% increase in efficiency, thanks to an alternative design using copper, zinc, tin and sulphur , all of which are significantly more abundant and more affordable than current solar staples.
Forum for the Future 25th March 2013 more >>
Small Wind
The small wind turbine (SWT) industry is maturing, signaled by the expanded role of SWT certification, the existence of hundreds of manufacturers located around the world, the expansion of dealer networks, and the growing number of national and regional industry associations. The number of applications is also growing, including applications in telecommunications, defense, and other sectors that involve producing power in remote locations. According to a new report from Navigant Research, annual global installations of SWTs will roughly double in the next five years, growing from 86 megawatts (MW) in 2012 to 172 MW in 2018 and representing $3.3 billion in revenues.
Commodities Now 24th March 2013 more >>
Spray Painting Solar
University of Sheffield researchers have made solar cells using a spray painting-like process. The method could significantly reduce the cost of solar cells meaning the technology could be provided to developing countries. The process involves spray-coating a photovoltaic active layer by an air based process similar to spraying regular paint from a can – to develop a cheaper technique which can be mass produced.
Lab News 23rd March 2013 more >>
Micro-CHP in Europe
New European micro-CHP market projections will be presented at the COGEN Europe Conference in Brussels, in April. This modern home energy technology which allows households and small commercial premises to both generate their own electricity and heat is beginning to gain market presence in Europe.
Hyer 22nd March 2013 more >>