UK Solar installers predict that the majority of installations that take place across the country in 2014 will be installed on the roofs of large commercial buildings. Warehouses, delivery depots and factories usually have large flat or shallow pitched roofs, making them an ideal candidate for solar PV mounting.

In addition to this commercial buildings are perhaps one of the best suited to Solar PV in the UK. Through the Governments Feed In Tariff scheme the owner of a building / solar PV array can be eligible to receive regular payments for generating their own electricity. Once the electricity has been generated then the producer will receive their payment no matter what, most businesses then find that they can dramatically cut down on their energy bills by using the electricity they have just generated to power lighting, computers or machinery; thus lowering overhead costs and increasing the profits and sustainability of the Read the rest of this entry »

The application process for a G59 can vary from area to area.

A G59 application is required in order for your business to feed electricity back to the grid and add another revenue stream to your returns from Solar PV. The organisation that process and approve G59 is called a DNO or Distribution Network Operator. DNOs operate on a area basis and cover the country between them, each DNO will have slightly different rules regarding the G59 application process and it is advisable to establish which Distribution Network Operator you will need to apply to and check their procedures.

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Researchers at the University of Bristol have begun work into the development of new active minerals for use in thin film Solar photovoltaic cells. Aiming to make the most use of abundant and low cost elements to bring Solar PV into a new stage of affordability and efficiency, the teams work must surely be on the watch list for anyone involved in the Solar PV industry or for those looking at PV in the future.

The “Photo-Voltaic Technology based on Earth Abundant Materials (PVTEAM)” has recently been awarded £2million ($3.3million) by the Engineering and Physical Sciences and Research Council (EPSRC). The team is one of four groups to have recently been awarded research funding by the EPRSC totally over £10million. Each of the projects is aiming to find more sustainable replacements for some of the raw materials that are used by the manufacturing industries.

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