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NAPIT will be exhibiting at Ecobuild 2013. As a certification body for tradespeople across the UK, NAPIT provide a range of membership schemes to help renewables and energy efficiency professionals make the most of the budding green economy.
Climate change minister Greg Barker has urged PV installers to throw their weight behind the Green Deal when it launches at the end of January.
Santon has launched its new range of SILLIOS-D DC switch disconnectors.
Heating manufacturer Glow-worm has added to the appeal of Plumb Center’s solar thermal training course by offering a cashback incentive.
Canadian Solar has announced that its 148 MW solar park PV project in southern Brandenburg, Germany has been named the 2012 winner of the Solar Project of the Year Award by POWER-GEN International.
Are you a solar installer looking for new ways to revitalise your business and sell your services in challenging market conditions? Then the Solar Power UK 2013 Roadshow might be the place for you.
Lightsource Renewable Energy has developed an online portal, designed to educate children about renewable energy and climate change.
MPC ceo Dave Sowden, climate change minister Greg Barker, Phil Shepley from event sponsor Carillion and MPC president Baroness Maddock
The Micropower Council’s (MPC) ceo Dave Sowden has called on climate change secretary Greg Barker to ‘stick to his vision’ and restore certainty to investors in green technology.
The UK is on course to hit its 2020 renewable energy targets, according to a new report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Scott Leighton from SolarTech, Cllr Angus Ross, WBC executive member for the environment and Gill Cheale Branch Supervisor Wokingham Library in front of Wokingham Library
SolarTech has designed and installed 27 PV systems on sites across Wokingham in an initiative which is expected to generate 500,000 kWh per year saving the schools and centres approximately £40,000 on their combined energy bills.
PV manufacturer Trina Solar has announced that it is to supply 55MW of modules to Anesco over the next four months.
Dutch inverter manufacturer Mastervolt reports that over 120 installers and distributors visited its SolarTruck Roadshow at 12 locations throughout the UK.
REA‘s head of on-site renewables Mike Landy: “Government has heard the evidence provided by industry and has increased the support for large-scale solar PV compared with its consultation proposals, albeit only slightly. We welcome the decision to provide higher support for roof-mounted PV (compared with ground-mounted) and to recognise the very much larger deployment potential for ground-mounted PV than originally foreseen.
The government has outlined support rates going forward for biomass and solar under the Renewables Obligations Certificate (ROC).
South Downs Solar has been named ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the 2012 Sussex Business Awards.
From L-R: Shaun Beattie (M3 Solar), William Pierce (FG Pierce & Sons), Raffaele Fait (Eltek UK) and Andy O’Leary (Sibert Solar)
In August this year, M3 Solar installed and commissioned a 100kW roof-mounted PV system for FG Pierce & Sons near Sevenoaks, Kent.
Burnley-based PV installers Solarlec has enjoyed its second strongest ever sales month.
Greg Barker vitits Romag in the North East
Climate change minister Greg Barker has visited the North East to see Romag’s PV manufacturing facility.
Working in collaboration with Barnsley College, The Building Research Establishment (BRE) will be offering a series of interactive seminars and workshops aimed at businesses working across the built environment and sustainability sectors looking to develop skills and knowledge.
The series will take advantage of the innovative Think Low Carbon Centre based at Barnsley College’s Honeywell site.
After completing a positive audit of the technical and financial aspects and environmental and labour conditions of the KIOTO Photovoltaics factory, Solar Insurance declares that KIOTO Photovoltaic modules fulfill all expectations and acquires certification.
This means that from now on clients of KIOTO Photovoltaics can insure their projects with the option ‘Inherent defect and warranty’ from Solar Insurance, which backs up the warranty of the modules.
The option ‘Inherent defect and warranty’ is an option with the operational Solar PV Insurance, which covers damage caused by weather conditions, fire and theft and compensates production loss.
2012 has been an action-packed year, especially for PV. We had the ups and downs of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), which started in late 2011. Although confidence took several knocks, things now appear to be stabilising and many in the industry think that as well as the inevitable slow-down and squeezed margins, the overall effect also has some positive aspects. For example, some of the companies who entered the market for quick profits, but with little technical knowledge or experience of the sector, have now departed as rapidly as they arrived, leaving space for those who are in it for the long haul to refocus on building an industry committed to quality and customer service.
Mariana Hall, vice-president of Phono Solar Europe, asks what the future looks like for PV and renewable energy
Matthieu Giraudon is European renewables product manager at Fernox
REI: What have you got planned for 2013?
MG: To change a cultural aspect in theUKwith regard to the perception of renewable energy technologies. There is a tendency for them to be seen as unreliable in terms of performance outputs, and not as appropriate to a colder, less sunny country like theUK. We know that this perception is actually inaccurate and that correctly sized and properly installed, solar thermal systems or heat pumps work efficiently and are trouble free. The challenge is to get this message across to householders and installers.
The first is a regular series, Liz MacFarlane, Zenex and Q-Gen offers her perspective on the industry