I’ve been covering the solar power industry for more than a decade. I recall writing about the industry blowing up way back at the beginning, because annual installations did indeed climb rapidly compared to previous years. The nice thing about technology learning curves is that you can tell such stories over and over, and they
Incentivising people to use power when renewable output is surplus but demand is low helps balance out peaks and keep the grid in equilibrium Zero-carbon power outstripped fossil fuel in the UK’s electricity mix in 2020 for the first time since the industrial revolution. Back then, Thomas Edison’s Holborn Viaduct coal plant – opened in
It might sound like science fiction, but your home could soon be generating its own electricity. The ‘good life’ used to be all about growing your own vegetables, but in the brave new world of the 21st century, even self-sufficiency has had an upgrade. Although the advent of putting solar panels on the roof of
Snowy winters could become a thing of the past as climate change affects the UK, Met Office analysis suggests. It is one of a series of projections about how UK's climate could change, shared with BBC Panorama. It suggests by the 2040s most of southern England could no longer see sub-zero days. By the 2060s
Scientists and academics including Prof Gesa Weyhenmeyer and Prof Will Steffen argue that we must discuss the threat of societal disruption in order to prepare for it As scientists and scholars from around the world, we call on policymakers to engage with the risk of disruption and even collapse of societies. After five years failing
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed to cutting the UK’s emissions by at least 68% by 2030. Speaking last night (4 December), he outlined how the nation's new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target under the Paris Climate Agreement was increasing in recognition of the urgency to go further to tackle climate change. Johnson said that
Beatrice Browning, PhD researcher at the Faraday Institution writes for Air Quality News about the potential value of second-life batteries for energy storage. The transport sector is one of the principal producers of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. This, and the UK government’s pledge to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, has catalysed the
The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has approved the construction of the biggest battery storage project in the UK, and one of the largest such projects in the world, the company developing the site said on Monday. InterGen, an energy company headquartered in Edinburgh, has received the green light to build
Energy majors have called on the UK government to target a net zero power system as part of the 'Sprint to Glasgow' lead-up to the COP26 climate conference. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, chancellor, COP26 President and minister for Energy and Clean Growth, the group ask that the UK match commitments made
Researchers say Covid-19 hiatus is moment to tackle elite ‘super emitters’ Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018, according to a study. Airlines produced a billion tonnes of CO2 and benefited from a $100bn (£75bn) subsidy by not paying for the climate damage