Wind Energy and renewable energy blog

Confusion Reigns over Solar Subsidies

The government’s decision to contest the ruling that their plans to slash solar subsidies are illegal has sent the solar PV industry back into turmoil. Solar PV businesses have warned that this latest appeal will cost jobs and potentially risk businesses failing as they simply cannot tell their customers what their return would be.

An executive from Spirit Solar, Erica Robb, challenged David Cameron at a small business event today over the “weeks of chaos” that have resulted from the government’s proposals to cut feed-in tariff incentives for solar installations.

Discounted Barns in Exchange for Solar Energy

A UK based company has come up with a novel way to encourage farmers and businesses to install solar panels on barns and car ports. Lumicity are offering to build new barns and car ports up to the value of £40,000 in return for reaping the rewards from the solar panels that they will install and connect to the national grid.

Tesco to Sell Feed in Tariff Solar Panels

Supermarket giant Tesco is to start selling solar panels in the UK according to the Timesonline today.

The UK Feed In Tariff is programmed to start on Thursday 1st April and expected to result in a substantial number of people starting to generate their own green electricity. Under the scheme

Planning Rules Change for Small -Scale Renewables

Should people need planning consent for small scale renewable energy? This is a question the UK government has been contemplating for several years.

In 2008, the Town and Country Planning Order was amended to grant permitted development rights to domestic properties for solar panels, ground source heat pumps and water source heat pumps, but not to wind turbines and air source heat pumps.

A new consultation was kicked off yesterday on Government proposals to introduce permitted development rights for small scale renewable energy and low carbon technologies for both householders and businesses. It is also looking for feedback on permitted development rights and advertisement consent for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.