New report finds offshore wind industry can create jobs in east coast ports and boost wider UK economy
A strategic review of east coast port facilities has identified the enormous potential of the offshore wind sector to accelerate economic growth on the east coast of Britain. It has found that east coast ports, from East Anglia to Scotland, have the capability to support the ambitious pipeline of offshore wind projects which will be […]
Renewable energy outperforms coal in new official UK electricity statistics
The Government’s new annual energy statistics show that renewable energy sources are replacing coal as mainstream technologies generating power for British homes, offices and factories. Today’s figures confirm that 25% of the UK’s electricity was generated from renewables last year – an increase of 29% on 2014. Nearly half of this (48%) came from wind […]
Business rates on rooftop solar installations could go up nearly eight times next year
As reported by the Financial Times today, the Solar Trade Association has uncovered that business rates taxes on commercial rooftop solar installations will rise by between six and eight times as of April next year unless Ministers intervene. Paul Barwell, CEO of the Solar Trade Association, commented: “This is a huge increase in the running […]
UK solar industry sees new record in electricity generation
The UK solar industry is today (Monday 4th July) celebrating its third ‘Solar Independence Day’, the UK’s annual celebration of solar energy. To mark the occasion, which will see people all over the country post photos using the #SolarIndependence hashtag, the Solar Trade Association (STA) has launched its latest initiative to raise standards in the […]
Scottish Energy Minister highlights ground-breaking innovations in offshore wind
The new Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has said that “Scotland has the potential to be at the forefront in all stages of offshore renewable energy”. Speaking at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind conference in Manchester, Paul Wheelhouse MSP noted that “what is important is the size and boldness of our ambitions”. As evidence of this, […]
Government proposes severe cuts to Anaerobic Digestion Feed-in Tariffs
The DECC has published a consultation document proposing major reductions in support for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) under the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme. Cuts would take effect from January 2017 and are anticipated to have a serious impact on the biogas industry, with the proposed changes likely to end many AD projects planned in the UK, […]
10% FIT capacity wasted
New Ofgem figures – analysed by ADBA – have revealed that the Feed-in Tariff available for new AD plants could be even more heavily restricted than first thought. The new FIT scheme has quarterly ‘caps’ on maximum deployment for each technology, which are set at 5MW for anaerobic digestion. An application for a plant […]
Push to keep solar thermal set to continue as consultation closes
The solar industry has pledged to continue to push to keep solar thermal as the Government’s consultation on plans to cut off all support for the technology closes today (Wednesday 27 April). If the plans go ahead the long established and strategically important heat technology would be removed from the Renewable Heat Incentive entirely as […]
Parliamentary ructions over Government treatment of solar power
Parliamentarians of all parties, in both the Lords and the Commons, are objecting to the government’s treatment of solar power. Labour has tabled an amendment to the Finance Bill which would prevent a damaging potential VAT rise on domestic solar systems in future, which will be voted on next Tuesday. The Solar Trade Association was […]
