News 46
Four authorised service providers for wind turbine manufacturer Endurance, which went into administration in December following the collapse of its Canadian parent company, have joined forces to ensure turbine owners will not be left without critical spare parts and components that were previously the responsibility of the manufacturer.
Sonnen GmbH, market leader for residential battery storage in Europe, is expanding its reach in the UK and have partnered with CCL Components Ltd, one of the largest distributors of solar and storage solutions for private and commercial customers.
Solar mounting specialists Renusol GmbH, a subsidiary of Gibraltar Industries, has been acquired by global renewable energy company PARI Group.
Warmflow Engineering Company has announced its support for local charity, Friends of the Cancer Centre.
Reforms announced today to the UK’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, the flagship policy for the decarbonisation of the heating system, are being welcomed by the industry and trade associations.
The Government has dropped plans to remove solar thermal from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and at the same time has increased the level of support the scheme provides to heat pumps, biomass and green gas technology.
The Magic Thermodynamic Box company are supporting the family of an Essex youngster who suffers from a rare condition that causes him to suffer from more than 15 seizures a day.
Green energy firm Ecotricity has set out to challenge the shale gas industry by submitting planning applications for rival Green Gas Mills on proposed fracking sites.
Dulas, a leading independent renewable energy advisor, has announced it is currently engaged in providing detailed design services to several major ground mount solar developers in Ireland. The current work brings its total design portfolio in the market to 125 MW for the second half of 2016, with the firm expecting to undertake a minimum of a further 150 MW in 2017.
Some of the largest companies in the UK, including Sainsbury’s, IKEA, and Kingfisher PLC – have joined over 160 diverse groups calling on the Chancellor to drop the solar tax hike.
The UK subsidiaries of Endurance Wind have been place into administration following the collapse of its Canadian parent company.
SOLARWATT, the leading German pioneer of high-performance dual-glass solar PV energy production and storage systems, has hosted its first one-week international training programme for specialists, leading to the first deliveries of the MyReserve storage system for the UK and Ireland.
Following today’s Autumn Statement, the STA has highlighted that Chancellor Philip Hammond made no mention of climate change, the Paris Agreement or renewable energy.
A nationwide survey has found that 70% of UK homeowners are still unaware of the PV storage solutions.
RenewableUK says the Government’s announcement of the next round of competitive auctions to support offshore wind will provide a boost for British industry.
Renewable energy specialist Prescient Power is aiming for a future of growth following overseas investment from international trading company Inabata & Co., Ltd.
A detailed new analysis shows that the standard method for financing large scale solar PV schemes in the UK is no longer economically viable. An estimated two-thirds of the UK’s 12GW solar capacity has been built using this method – known as ‘Power Purchase Agreements’ – where solar farms or large commercial rooftops contract to sell their power to a third party.
M+W Group and project partners have presented the first results from extensive research into the benefits of combining the use of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants.
Plumb and Parts Center’s network of more than 500 branches are set to become smart controls hubs over the coming months and, to kick-start the initiative, Honeywell and Nest are touring the country to offer hands-on training in every single branch.
Eleven groups around the city have been offered a total of £58,132 to undertake a range of energy projects in local communities.
The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has expressed concerns over newly announced Government plans to increase the UK’s energy efficiency in line with its Paris commitments agreed in December 2015.
The UK renewable energy sector has continued to lose its appeal in the eyes of investors, dropping to a new all-time low in EY’s table of the world’s most attractive renewable energy markets.
Uncertainty caused by Brexit, the dismantling of the Government Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the approval of the Hinkley Point C power station have seen the UK fall for the first time to 14th place (from 13th) in EY’s Renewable energy country attractiveness index (Recai).
The approval of the 1.8GW Hornsea wind farm highlighted the offshore wind industry’s potential, but was not enough to keep the UK ahead of the likes of Morocco which has for the first time climbed ahead into 13th place.
Ben Warren, EY’s Head of Energy Corporate Finance, said: “Continued uncertainty around the Government’s energy policy has created a confusing picture for investors seeking a low-risk return.
“In addition to radical changes to its structure, the Government has decided to press ahead with investment in forms of energy that either don’t seem to have the public’s backing, such as shale gas, or have been deemed costly.
“With one more big decision, this time on the future of untested tidal lagoon technologies, expected in the coming months, the Government clearly believes that easy to deploy and cost efficient technologies such as onshore wind and solar are not the answer to the UK’s energy security conundrum.”
However, the emergence of the battery storage market offers the potential to boost investment, according to the Recai.
Warren said: “The last 12 months have seen a significant increase in investment in battery storage technology in the UK. The availability of contracts and continued research and development investments, particularly in the US, will continue to drive down costs and improve returns from investment in battery storage.
“No doubt there are still challenges to be overcome and questions to be answered around affordability and availability. But if the market is ready and willing to innovate, battery storage, coupled with renewables, can help improve reliability and consistency of output to create a far more attractive sector.”
The UK’s standing was at odds with other European countries which regained ground after falling behind emerging markets in the previous Recai in May 2016.
In the index top 10, France moved up one position to 7th as a result of the country’s plan to tender for 3GW of new solar capacity over the next three years. Construction of a factory to produce solar panels to pave 1,000km of road work is also currently underway in the country.
Warren added: “European countries lack the flexibility of emerging markets to transform their energy industries. Their greatest hurdle is integrating renewables with historically centralised conventional power generation. It began to look like European countries were scaling back their renewables ambitions as a result but, in recent months, we’ve seen promising new programmes materialise around the continent.”
Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, Norway and Finland also climbed further up the ranking of 40 countries. In Norway, work on a US$2.3b undersea tunnel to Germany offers a new wind-hydro storage opportunity between the countries. Germany, in addition to the United States, China, India and Chile, remained unmoved in the index top five.
Prior to uncertainty caused by the UK’s decision to exit the European Union, Europe experienced the greatest share of renewable energy green bond activity. A total of US$54.9b in renewable energy green bonds were issued in Europe since 2007, followed by North America with US$19.8b and Asia with US$4.5b.
Warren said: “The green bond market is enabling corporates, banks and development finance institutions to tap into enormous demand among investors for clean energy projects. In the last few years, we’ve seen significant growth in green bonds sold by issuers with plans to direct proceeds to environmental ends.”
Sixty-five percent of the proceeds of green bonds issued since the market’s inception in 2007 — or US$95.6b — have been channeled to renewable energy. As of July 2016, US$48.2b of green bonds had been sold this year. That’s compared to US$41.8b in 2015 and US$36.6b in 2014.
Warren added: “Green bonds currently serve to refinance existing projects for issuers and tick a box on the corporate responsibility agenda for investors. The ideal future state will see these financing vehicles used to bring new renewables projects to life.”
A consortium led by steam engineering specialist, Spirax Sarco, is to embark on a three year research programme to explore the potential for low temperature waste heat to be converted into electrical power after being awarded funding from the UK’s innovation agency.
No food company deliberately creates unnecessary waste. However, the volume of food waste created over the festive period is typically 30 per cent higher than the rest of the year. Finding a cost-effective, speedy and green way of treating this additional waste can be a headache for food firms at their busiest time of year. Fortunately, there is a solution.