A proposed quadrupling of the rate of VAT on renewable energy systems including solar panels could backfire by putting customers off going ‘green’, a leading energy expert has warned. David Jones, whose Denbigh-based Hafod Renewables are specialists in the installation of new ‘green’ technologies, says the increase from five to 20 per cent will have
Shell, BP and Centrica have talked of backing EU emissions target but withheld support The UK’s largest energy companies have withheld support for a legally binding target to reduce the EU’s emissions to net zero by 2050, even while publicly backing the plans. Royal Dutch Shell, BP and British Gas’s owner, Centrica, have all publicly
Tesco is to install around 5MW of rooftop solar PV across its UK site portfolio after penning a PPA agreement. The supermarket giant has signed an agreement with SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEEIT), which will provide financing for the sites. It’s the second major solar announcement from Tesco this year. In January Solar Power
Hotter temperatures have melted as much as a quarter of Himalayan glacial ice in the past 40 years, reveals a study of declassified spy satellite photos from the 1970s. The Himalayan Mountains are home to the highest peak in Mount Everest at 29,029 feet, but also to the third largest deposit of ice and snow
A new asset class is coming to the energy industry. One of the most exciting innovations in energy over the past decade has been the development of energy storage technology. Batteries have become viable for almost every size project, from homes to the largest utilities. In 2018, 311 megawatts (MW) and 777 megawatt-hours (MW-hr) of
And it may be messing with our weather. Ice is melting in unprecedented ways as summer approaches in the Arctic. In recent days, observations have revealed a record-challenging melt event over the Greenland ice sheet, while the extent of ice over the Arctic Ocean has never been this low in mid-June during the age of
The UK recorded its greenest ever winter in 2018/19, as mild conditions, high renewable output and system flexibility combined to send carbon intensity tumbling. National Grid ESO’s Winter Outlook document, published yesterday, revealed that the average carbon intensity of power generation over the period established a new record low of 242.8g CO2/kWh, almost half the
Recent power outages related to wildfires and other weather-related events suggest that a battery storage system might be a sensible addition when installing a solar photovoltaic system. The cost of battery storage is dropping, and there are alternatives available to reduce the cost further. “The era of available electricity whenever and wherever needed is officially
Climate experts have welcomed the UK’s new target to cut emissions to “net zero” by 2050 as a “crucial first step” in combating global warming. The new goal is one of the most ambitious set by a major polluting nation and Britain is the first major economy to make the pledge. But while Tuesday’s announcement
Details have emerged of the UK's Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which will see owners of small-scale solar facilities continue to be paid for surplus energy sent to the grid, aiming to close the policy gap left by the end of feed-in tariffs (FiTs), by the end of 2019. Details of the SEG have been much-awaited