VAT on residential solar panels has been cut to zero in the Spring Statement, unveiled today (23 March) by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. The cut to VAT for the next five years covers energy saving materials and installation of technologies including solar panels, heat pumps and roof insulation, which currently have a rate of 5%. A household
VAT on energy efficiency measures are to be cut to 0%, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced as part of his Spring Statement. Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon (23 March), the Chancellor unveiled his mini-budget amidst the energy and cost of living crisis. The cut to VAT on solar panels, heating pumps and
Her Harvard thesis offers a bleak outlook on the course of civilization but sustainability expert Gaya Herrington tells Louise Boyle that the worst-case scenario is not inevitable. ‘We need to completely re-envision what our role is in the world’ When her study – confirming a 1970s prediction that humanity’s unquenchable desire for economic growth would hit a wall
Only rarely does a book truly change the world. In the nineteenth century, such a book was Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. For the twentieth century, it was The Limits to Growth. Not only did this best-selling 1972 publication help spur the environmental movement, but it showed that the underlying dynamics of the modern industrial world
If you work at a busy manufacturing company the chances are your energy consumption will need to increase in the next few years. You will also be under intense pressure to reduce your carbon emissions. How can this dilemma be solved? The biggest step most manufacturing companies could take to reduce carbon emissions would
A few words about how we at Circular Energy Storage experienced the market in 2021 and what we will look for in 2022. When battery recyclers buy scrap lithium-ion batteries, or black mass, the not so specific intermediary powder from crushed cells, the prices are usually set as a percentage of the price at
With the current pandemic, the damage to food production and supply chains has already been set in stone. It’s just a matter of time before the full effects of these unfortunate events trickle down to cause a shortage of food in your local area. As a crisis gardener, you want to hedge against this
An increasing number of homeowners are investing in residential energy storage systems (RESS) solutions to reduce inconveniences associated with power outages and in some cases, reduce costs and increase their use of renewable power. This was one of the findings in a new report from Guidehouse Insights, examining the global market for RESS solutions
The U.K. needs to substantially expand its capacity for storing electricity for longer in order to maintain energy security as it shifts to greener power, according to Aurora Energy Research. As much as 24 gigawatts of long duration electricity storage -- about eight times the current installed capacity -- may be needed to help
The country’s reliance on gas for heating, electricity generation and heavy industry comes at a heavy cost The UK’s reliance on gas to heat homes, generate electricity and fuel heavy industry has come at a steep cost, which is expected to keep on rising. In recent weeks the financial hit to household incomes has