Having just passed the Summer solstice on June 21 and the midway point of the UK’s solar-based calendar,  this would seem an apt time to reflect on how the industry is faring now that 2013 is six months old.

June has not just been bright for the PV market in terms of panel output, but the latest statistics from DECC show a healthy return in installed capacity to a rate not seen since last October.

In the week ending June 23, over 3,000 installations were registered in the sub 50kW band with a cumulative capacity of more than 13MW.   Whilst this is still a far cry from the heady days of 2011 before Read the rest of this entry »

Commercial-scale Solar PV projects are estimated to be generating £13.5million worth of electricity a year according to the latest research poll.

Research carried out by an independent energy company revealed that the many commercial-scale independent Solar projects of over 50kw, that are operating in the UK at the end of 2012, account for 322MW of its capacity.

Renewable Energy Developer’s account for 59% of the total energy being generated by the sector with 13% coming from onsite generators and landowners alike and a  further 7% is accounted for by the agricultural sector. Read the rest of this entry »

Not all of the benefits of Solar energy are widely understood and by installing Solar panels on commercial buildings and factories you will receive more than just peace of mind that you are doing something to help the environment.

Because you will be creating your own energy you can negate any increases in energy costs and save money on your current utility bills. You are also adding value to that property, so that when it comes to selling the building the value of that property is likely to have increased.

Many commercial buildings use an enormous amount of energy, particularly in factories where you are Read the rest of this entry »

New figures released this month from DECC have shown and increased interest in the Green Deal Scheme

Since the scheme was launched in January there have been over 9,200 assessments lodged.

The latest figures show that the number of assessments has dramatically picked up over the last month, with 7,465 assessments lodged in March – a 331% increase from February’s figures.

In addition to the growing figures, the Green Deal Finance Company has confirmed a £244 million funding package with DECC, the UK Green Investment Bank and other stakeholders. Read the rest of this entry »

Energy-intensive companies will see energy bills soar by as much as £5 million a year due to carbon taxes and support for nuclear and renewable energy, according to a study by DECC.  Medium-sized companies face an average rise of around 22%.

The UK government is attempting to drive up renewables and nuclear power in order to meet the U.K.’s targets to cut greenhouse gases  by at the very least 34% by 2020 from the levels it reached in the 1990’s.The government is also trying to gain a share of the 3.3 trillion-pound global market for clean energy, not a simple task but one that is achievable through work and possible incentives and will help to curb emissions and the inevitable energy price increases. Read the rest of this entry »

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has finally confirmed that Green Deal finance can be used to part-fund the cost of a Solar PV installation.

They have issued a document which clearly sets out in detail how the two schemes work together following an uncertain period when the scheme was originally launched.

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, with Green Deal finance being able to be used to pay for part of the cost. Read the rest of this entry »

London based Solar PV generators may soon be able to sell the electricity they generate to the at an increased rate following an application for a Licence Lite by the city.  The Greater London Authority is the very first authority to apply to Ofgem for the new type of electricity supply license.   The license will initially allow the GLA to buy excess electricity produced by London’s boroughs and public bodies before able to sell it on, at cost price, to other public sector organizations such as Transport for London, the Met Police and NHS hospitals.

However, London Mayor Boris Johnson is currently actively exploring the possibility of widening the license to include private sector small energy producers as well, including Solar PV arrays. Read the rest of this entry »

Eight in ten people surveyed as part of a report published by the government support the UK using renewable energy scheme to generate electricity, fuel and heat and save money on their energy bills.

2,107 people were polled in December and January and just four per cent were opposed to using renewable energy.  This number has remained relatively consistent across the previous three surveys conducted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Solar energy was found to have the highest levels of support, with 82% favoring this type of technology, followed by offshore wind with an approval rating of 72% and wave and tidal arrays with a 71% rating. Read the rest of this entry »

MCS have announced recently that the current Feed in Tariff (FIT) rates for all non PV technology types are to remain at the same level until 31st March 2014.

It has also now been confirmed that the 15.44p / kWh rate, for eligible PV installations with a total installed capacity of 4kW or under, will apply to installations with an eligibility date on or after 1st November 2012 and before 1st July 2013.

These announcements follows Ofgem’s publication of the latest tariff tables and looks set to bring a very welcome stability to the UK renewables market this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Only half of the grants offered by government to businesses and councils to install renewable heating schemes are being claimed.

One of the main reasons appears to be lack of publicity, but the grant conditions also are claimed to be too tight.

Under the Renewable Heat Incentive, businesses and public sector bodies can claim a subsidy for every unit of power generated from technologies such as Solar water heating panels, biomass boilers and heat pumps, in the same way as can be claimed for renewable electricity under the feed-in tariff scheme. Read the rest of this entry »