All electricity retailers in the UK are required to supply a proportion of their electricity from renewable sources (currently 11%). If they don’t they have to pay a ‘buyout’ fee – a bit like a fine. So how do you find out whether your chosen green electricity supplier is being forced into supplying your electricity from renewable sources as part of its legal obligation or whether it is going the extra mile in encouraging new renewable energy because you are paying a green electricity rate?

Each electricity supplier has to provide information to Ofgem on the fuel mix that makes up its supply to domestic customers. This is public information and from this we can ascertain whether companies are doing more than their fair share or less. For example last year Good Energy provided electricity matched from 100% renewable energy sources compared with a UK average of 7.9%. Further Good Energy’s tariff at around 12.9 pence per kWh depending on the area, is competitive with the big 6 electricity prices and in many cases cheaper. By comparison EDF only supplied 3.9% from renewable sources and Scottish Power only 7.6%.

None of the electricity from Good Energy is from nuclear and the company is currently sourcing electricity from a whopping 1000 independent and small scale renewable energy generators. Those independent generators are harnessing wind energy, hydro, solar energy and biomass. For example Good Energy buy solar power from St Aldhelm’s Church in London and housing association Peabody. They even buy electricity from a prototype onshore wave generator on Skye. So before you sign up to a green electricity tariff, check out how much green electricity your company is genuinely supplying and where it is coming from.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, Maria McCaffery MBE, said: “Contrary to the Duke’s comments, the irrefutable facts are that wind energy is providing a clean, secure supply of electricity to more than three million homes in the UK, displacing six and a half million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year”.

“Overall, the long-term cost-effectiveness of wind makes it an economic necessity for our future – we can’t go on relying on expensive imports of fossil fuels, which are the real reason why energy bills are going up. We need to explode some of these myths that are being peddled by anti-renewables campaigners. I fear that, with great respect, the Duke of Edinburgh has been seriously misinformed, and he has failed to understand the many benefits offered by renewable energy”.

The trade association highlights the fact that the independent electricity regulator Ofgem says that the cost of supporting wind adds only about £10 per year to the average domestic electricity bill of £600 – a figure far lower than those misreported in some sections of the media. Ofgem has also warned that any failure to invest in renewable energy will result in domestic bills increasing by as much as 52%, if we remain over-reliant on increasingly expensive fossil fuels from unstable regimes abroad.

McCaffery also points out that a quarter of our traditional sources of electricity – coal-fired and nuclear power stations – will reach the end of their natural lives within the next ten years: “Wind energy is vital for our future if we are to keep the lights on. The UK has the best wind resource in Europe. Wind turbines generate electricity for 80-85% of the time – far more than the lower statistics bandied about by some ill-informed commentators”, she said.

The trade association also highlights the enormous economic benefits wind energy offers in terms of job creation. About 11,000 people are working in the UK wind industry, many of them in highly skilled engineering jobs. By 2021, a study by the respected analysts Cambridge Econometrics shows that this will increase to nearly 90,000 jobs as we build a new low-carbon economy and meet our carbon reduction targets

“The figures show that even in an exceptionally dry and calm year, renewables still met over 30 per cent of the annual demand for electricity from every home and business in Scotland. This reinforces that the sector is now a major part of our energy mix, and a significant part of our economy.

“Our hydro sector met more than 10 per cent of sales to consumers across the country.

“The report also shows massive growth in output in the first half of 2011 – wind up by 120 per cent and hydro up by 75 per cent this year as wind and rainfall returned to normal – meaning that renewables are providing greater levels of power than ever before.

“The sector is meeting a growing proportion of electricity demand in the UK and Scotland and this year will save yet more carbon emissions from our power sector.”

In the current financial climate, this is a very interesting deal for farmers already considering erecting a barn. Although they will still have to pay for any ground works required, the total cost of building the barn would be significantly reduced. Lumicity can also assist with the planning process and will manage the design and building of the barn, installation of the panels and connection to the grid, making for a simple end to end process for the farmer.

For businesses looking to provide covered parking for over 30 cars, Lumicity are offering to design a bespoke car port solution to match the aesthetics of the existing building, with the added benefit of providing charging points for electric cars. This not only provides a long term energy solution for the business, but can also enhance the environmental prestige of the company.

In both offerings Lumicity will own the panels for the first 25 years, after which ownership of the panels will pass to the barn/car port owner. They estimate that the power generated from the solar panels will be equivalent to the normal consumption of 10- 20 typical British homes, and warrant that the panels will maintain 80% efficiency after the initial 25 year period.

The Spalding Guardian reported today that South Holland District Council has won liability orders to recover £110,000 outstanding in unpaid business rates and council tax.

Jane and Julian Davis travel the UK and abroad to speak out against wind farms and advise people who want to object to local wind farm proposals.

The Davis’ reportedly owe over £1000 to their local council in respect of the house they claim is uninhabitable due to nearby wind turbines. According to the Spalding Guardian the district valuer has the power to take the house off the list so council tax no longer falls due – but the case can only be pursued by Mr and Mrs Davis.

The Davis’ are currently seeking £2.5m compensation for ‘loss and damage to their amenity‘ in the High Court due to wind turbine noise. The couple bought the property in Lincolnshire with 0.4 acre grounds from Lincolnshire County Council in 1996. They say the property is now only worth £30-£50,000 and ‘unmarketable‘.

The environmental health officer at South Holland Council has confirmed that no other residents of Deeping St Nicholas have submitted formal complaints and that the wind farm has been monitored and confirmed not to be causing a statutory noise nuisance. The High Court hearing commenced in July and is due to reconvene in November.

The wind farm landowners and operators: RC Tinsley Ltd, Nicholas Watts, Fenland Windfarms Ltd and Fenland Green Power Cooperative Ltd say that the turbines have not created any noise nuisance.

The purchase of Kildrummy wind farm in Scotland was completed under a framework agreement with German utility giant RWE. The 8 wind turbine, c. 18 Megawatt wind farm is located 50km west of Aberdeen and construction is due to start in early 2012. The wind farm construction contract negotiation is currently underway.

The first wind farm to be sold off by RWE to Renerco was the 5 turbine, 15 Megawatt Earls Hall Wind Farm, near Clacton on Sea in Essex. Both wind farms were consented in 2009. The sale is rumoured to have been worth £7m.

RWE is one of the UK’s largest wind farm developer – owner – operators but is currently trying to sell off assets.

Renerco Renewable Energy Concepts AG is a company of BayWa r.e group and is now expanding outside of the German domestic market. Renerco sells project development, planning and turnkey construction services, together with technical and commercial operations management. The company supports investment and leasing companies, banking institutions and institutional investors with technical services.

Demands are being made for a seven-year extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to provide consistent, low tax rates for wind energy.

A letter from the governors, sent last month to the White House, has since been made public by the Governors Wind Energy Coalition. Signed by coalition chair Governor Lincoln Chafee, and vice chair Governor Terry Branstad, the letter states:

“Although tax credits for wind energy have long enjoyed bipartisan support, they are scheduled to expire next year. Wind-related manufacturing will slow if the credits are not extended, and some of the tax credits’ benefit will be lost if Congress pursues a last-minute extension. It is important to have consistency in policy to support the continued development of wind manufacturing in the United States. Extending the production tax credit and the investment tax credit, without a gap, is critical to the health of wind manufacturing in our nation. The wind manufacturing industry in the U.S. would benefit even greater if the extension of these credits would be for at least seven years.”

“Governors have always focused on jobs and economic development as their main responsibility. Now that Washington is following suit, it helps for these Governors to tell Washington what has been putting people to work in their states,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “It is also helpful for them to support the removal of roadblocks that can occur in administrative agencies, so that deployment objectives are not unintentionally thwarted.”

The Australian arm of the renewable energy company made the bid as part of the ‘Solar Dawn Consortium‘ alongside Areva and CS Energy.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made the announcement following an 18-month competitive process which started in late 2009.

The ‘Solar Dawn’ project is a proposed 250 megawatt solar thermal gas hybrid power plant to be built near Chinchilla in South West Queensland. It is expected to reach capacity output by 2015.

Euan Cameron, Wind Prospect Group CEO said:

“The Solar Dawn project is a major achievement for Wind Prospect and its partners. We are an employee-owned company and this is exciting news for all of us. Along with the launch of our ‘ReBonds.co.uk’ investment programme last month, it highlights Wind Prospect’s innovative and pioneering approach to all aspects of the international renewables arena.”

Charles Hendry MP, Energy Minister of State (UK) said:

“I welcome the fact that a UK company is playing a vital role in one of the world’s largest renewable energy projects to be built in Australia. Wind Prospect is to be congratulated for its vision and its commitment to a renewable energy development on a global scale.

“The Solar Flagships project is a catalyst to developing future clean energy initiatives. It will have a local presence and a global impact on the reduction of carbon emissions. I am delighted that Wind Prospect is able to fly the flag for the UK and Australia.”

Solar Dawn is part of the Australian Government’s Solar Flagships Program, which aims to provide the foundation for large-scale, grid-connected solar power and to accelerate the commercialisation of solar power in Australia. It is a key component of the Australian Government’s $5 billion Clean Energy Initiative.

The revised Feed In Tariff rates are due to be implemented on 1st August 2011.

The rate for larger scale solar energy projects of 250 kW – 5MW has been dramatically reduced from 30.7 pence per kWh to 8.5 pence. As a result the UK is unlikely to see proposals for ground based solar parks of this scale. Many in the industry believe only solar projects in the highest tariff band of up to 5kW are likely to be installed.

Conversely, as only a handful of new anaerobic digestion plants have been installed under the existing FIT tariff rate, the Government has decided the rate should be increased.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:

“I want to drive an ambitious roll out of new green energy technologies in homes, communities and small businesses and the FIT scheme has a vital part to play in building a more decentralised energy economy.

“We have carefully considered the evidence that has been presented as part of the consultation and this has reinforced my conviction of the need to make changes as a matter of urgency. Without action the scheme would be overwhelmed.”

Dave Sowden, Chief Executive of the Micropower Council commented:

“This is bad news for many worthwhile projects – schools, communities, public buildings. The Government was clear from last November it intended to act on large-scale, field-based solar, but took the entire Built Environment sector completely by surprise when announcing the review, and we are disappointed it has not been persuaded to recognise the merits of projects in this sector or recognise the impact on investor confidence surprise announcements can have.

In the longer term, we also need to start now to build the case for a significantly more ambitious feed-in tariff scheme during the next Spending Review Period (2015 onwards) so that all forms of sustainable electricity production from buildings can be scaled up and costs brought down quickly.”

The new solar and anaerobic digestion FIT rates are outlined below:

New Solar PV
>50 kW – <150 kW total installed capacity = 19 pence/ kWh
>150 kW – <250 kW = 15p/ kWh
250 kW - 5 MW and stand alone installations = 8.5 pence/kWh

New Anaerobic digestion:
< 250 kW = 14p/ kWh
>250 kW – < 500 kW = 13p/ kWh

The report recommends that “if a set of alternative options can be found to meet the EU renewable energy target, then offshore wind ambition in 2020 could be moderated.”

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive, said: “The report is welcome in as much as it recommends increasing the share of renewable energy to 40% by 2030. However, we are not going to get there if we do not stand four-square behind offshore wind in the run up to 2020. An unambitious target could scare off investors just when they have pledged so much commitment in establishing UK factories. This in turn could stymie delivery of targets and prevent the creation of up to 50,000 jobs in offshore wind over the next decade.”

The industry trade body believes that offshore wind energy costs are likely to come down whilst assumptions by the committee about the costs of nuclear are optimistic.

Another recent report by Price Waterhouse Cooper says that wind industry representatives believe offshore wind energy will not require subsidies within 15 years.