Solar 40
Search history: According to Cathy Debenham, YouGen, has seen a shift in consumer interest for renewables over the last year
Cathy Debenham, YouGen, offers an insight into consumer interest in renewables over the last year.
Although we run a renewable energy website, you wouldn’t have thought it in February last year. Virtually all the questions we were asked were about solar PV (or the Feed-in Tariff for solar PV). After the home page, solar PV was easily the most visited section of YouGen, with nearly double the monthly traffic of the next most popular section (biomass boilers).
Lightsource has announced the development of what it says is the country’s largest rooftop solar PV array, with an installed capacity of 5MWp.
Peter Shone, managing director of Cheshire-based JPCS
JPCS reports that it has passed the 50MWp milestone in UK ground-mounted PV installations.
Nottingham-based PV installer EvoEnergy has secured investment from UK construction and civil engineering company Stepnell.
PV manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne has supplied modules for two new ground-mounted PV installations in the UK.
Trina Solar today announced that the company has retained its Top Brand PV Seal for Germany in the “Modules” category.
The industry has expressed its disappointment at the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC)’s decision to further delay the introduction of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Dr Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Bosch board of management
Bosch has announced it is to discontinue its activities in crystalline photovoltaics and the manufacture of ingots, wafers, cells, and modules will be ceased at beginning of 2014.
February 2013 saw some major changes to the MCS standards for Solar PV installers with a new version of MIS 3002 and a new PV Installation Guide which replaces the 2006 Dti Guide.
Dr Alex Levran, Power-One’s president renewable energy solutions
Power-One announced today it has surpassed the one million mark for PV inverters sold worldwide.
Wuxi Suntech, the main operating subsidiary of Chinese PV manufacturer Suntech Power, has filed for bankruptcy – just two years after being named the World’s largest producer of solar panels.
Members of the industry have criticised chancellor George Osborne for not doing enough in the 2013 budget to stimulate investment in renewable technologies.
PV manufacturer WINAICO has today reassured installers and suppliers that its Taiwanese-sourced modules will not be subject to any EU tariffs which may be applied to Chinese firms exporting to Europe.
Trina Solar has today announced a new frame design across its full range of 72-cell monocrystalline and 60-cell polycrystalline modules. The frame thickness has been reduced from 40mm to 35mm, with products becoming immediately available.
Recent arctic weather has reminded people with solar thermal heating systems that their solar panels need to be treated well and regularly maintained around the year if they are to continue to provide around 50 per cent of the hot water the home needs during the year, says Sentinel.
Liz MacFarlane, Zenex Solar discusses the winning ways of the renewables sector
Who are you?
Hugh Taylor, business development director at Applied Sustainable Energy
Steve Pester, BRE, is delighted to see a government minister put his energy into the new solar guide
Bill Hull, head of the Green Deal team and partner at law firm TLT, has advised on the development of the Green Deal scheme. He looks at the Green Deal and asks – how it is progressing?
This month, in its regular column, MCS looks at the publication of the new PV Guide and Updated MIS 3002
Solar industry leaders have gathered in Brussels for the Annual General Meeting of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) to identify challenges and set clear priorities for the coming years.
Rexel has signed a new partnership agreement which will see 4Eco’s green energy management system – the immerSUN – installed into thousands of properties across the country.
Klober is launching the Venduct Uniplus Solar Panel Support – designed to remove any stress on roof tiles or slates caused by PV rail fixings.
Gledhill says its new range of Torrent GreenHeat open vented thermal stores offers the opportunity to use the widest range of renewable energy sources to provide safe, cost effective and environmentally friendly domestic heating and hot water.