Solar panels might seem like they’re in direct competition with plants. One is catching sunlight to do photosynthesis, the other wants to take it to push electrons. Surely Highlander rules apply, and there can be only one on a plot of land, right? In reality, it’s not a zero-sum game. Some plants will burn in
Under the new law proposed by HM Revenue and Customs, the VAT for new solar and energy storage products will increase from 5% to 20% from October The government is being urged to stop the proposed VAT increase for solar and battery storage technologies by industry, environmental groups and more than 17,500 people. Under the
Energy storage installations for homes and businesses — involving battery technology — are on the rise in areas where extreme weather threatens the electric power grid, such as flood-prone Houston, wildfire-stricken California and hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. A sustained power outage can lead to serious consequences, such as loss of income and even death. Because of
A £55 million (US$67.8 million) fund has been earmarked for five projects in the UK looking at developing the next generation of battery storage technology. The government-led Faraday Institution has allocated the funding to five consortium-led projects with the aim of overcoming battery challenges, in particular by improving performance and cost characteristics. The projects will
Chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid has been slammed by the green economy for adding just £30 million to the government’s net zero budget, a mere 0.1% of what is expected to be needed. Yesterday Javid, in his first official spending statement as chancellor of the exchequer, unveiled a raft of proposals in the government’s
Implement “proper” climate change plans or risk facing legal challenge, environmental lawyers have warned 100 councils across England. The councils – all of which are currently developing a new local plan – have been put on notice by environmental law firm ClientEarth, giving them eight weeks to explain how evidence-based carbon reduction targets will be
E.ON made a bold announcement last week: all 3.3 million of their customers will be placed on a 100% renewable tariff as standard. No need to change their tariff or account. No extra charge. A good news story on the face of it. But is it too good to be true? The overnight switch to
The government must plug its policy shortfall or risk failing to hit binding net zero targets, the Science and Technology select committee has warned. Identifying ten areas where government policy is lacking, the committee issued a series of recommendations in a new report looking at how to achieve net zero by 2050. Among the committee’s
As the world moves towards the mass adoption of renewable energy, some questions come to mind. Which energy sources are most practical for the future? How do we rebuild an energy infrastructure and economy that works? What economic models are best for this new energy economy? Energy storage can answer some of these questions. Energy
Those digits won’t mean a lot outside of energy circles, but they’re likely to be etched into the UK industry’s folklore. Just after 16:52 on Friday 9 August 2019, the UK’s power system - one of the most secure in the world - tripped, causing power outages felt by more than 1 million customers. While