Industry News

Solarcentury supports European solar days

Mon, 12 May 2008 11:22:41 GMT

We are joining solar energy organisations across Europe to raise the profile of solar energy and promote the use of the sun as an energy source throughout Europe. The first European Solar Days will be celebrated on 16-17 May 2008 when over 4000 different events will be staged in ten European countries.

Notably, the celebrating countries exclude our company's country of origin, the United Kingdom, whose government this month witnesses increasing pressure to support renewable energy with a Feed-in Tariff mechanism, similar to those seen across much of Europe. Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) provide a proven long-term financial incentive for generators to invest in renewable energy. European countries with long-term feed-in tariffs include Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic.

Jeremy Leggett, our Executive Chairman says: �Solar power is a proven technology that has the capability of dramatically cutting C02 emissions on buildings across the world. As the urgency to implement renewable energy sources increases, it is vital that the industry clubs together to help people understand how this remarkable stuff works.� He adds: �We�re proud to see the EPIA and ESTIF co-ordinate in this way, just sorry that our own home nation is not supporting solar to any where near the degree of that of the rest of Europe.�

The origins of European Solar Days began in Austria in 2002. The idea was then taken up by Switzerland and Germany. Germany now dedicates a week to this successful renewable energy awareness-raising campaign. �The �Woche der Sonne� in Germany has become the most successful Solar Campaign ever staged and has been a key factor in the increased use of solar energy throughout Germany,� says Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, Managing Director of BSW-Solar.

Solar energy is one of the most accessible and affordable sources of renewable energy available to ordinary citizens and can be used on any house or office building. And this is not only true for southern countries such as Spain and Portugal. Solar energy installations can also be found in northern countries such as Norway and Sweden, where there is an ever growing number of installations.

Solar Days are now being bought to the rest of Europe, with Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia joining in 2008. Other countries are expected to join the initiative in 2009 and it is planned to extend the Solar Days throughout Europe in the future. The European Solar Days, which are coordinated by ESTIF in close cooperation with EPIA, are supported by 25 organisations at a national and European level.

For further information on European Solar Days events see: http://www.solarday.eu

The feed-in Tariff - an open letter

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:17:32 GMT

Read the letter here.

A UK feed-in tariff could revolutionise the UK energy market - make your voice heard and sign the petition here today.

Lily Allen gives backing to feed-in tariff

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:34:02 GMT

Read the full article here .

A UK feed-in tariff could revolutionise the UK energy market - make your voice heard and sign the petition here today.

Solar so good for our house - Guardian article on the merits of solar PV

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:05:40 GMT

Read the full article here

EU reveals energy plan of action

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:48:22 GMT

To read the full story on the BBC website, click here .

Desert state channels oil wealth into world's first sustainable city

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:56:19 GMT

To read the full article, visit the Guardian website .

Hologram prince hails new money for alternative energy

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:51:39 GMT

To read the full article, visit the Guardian website .

Germany - leading the way in solar energy

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:22:37 GMT

To hear the BBC In Business special on Germany's renewable energy policies click the link below:

In Business (30 min) - Broadcast on Radio 4 Thu 10 Jan - 20:30

To listen you will need to install RealPlayer. Click here to install .

New planning rules to back renewables and community heating schemes

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:49:03 GMT

Changes to the planning system published today mean all councils will be expected to set out rules in their local plans to back on-site renewable energy and local community energy schemes.

The new planning rules [PPS Climate Change] will expect all councils to put policies in place that will give a major push for locally-distributed energy schemes in their plans.

This could mean big increases in the use of local wind power, solar panels, and community heating and power schemes. Use of renewables; will be expected for all new buildings, not just homes which already have to be zero carbon by 2016.

Ministers believe that the future is local and there is huge potential for local power to support not just new housing development, but new office and other commercial buildings too.

These new ambitious plans are similar to the Merton rule which requires all new non-residential developments above a certain size to generate at least 10% of their energy on-site from renewable sources or the Mayor of London's plans to double renewables' share of UK electricity supply from the 2010 target of 10% to 20% by 2020.

The announcement will mean councils can focus new developments and local energy supply on things like solar panels, wind turbines or heat pumps that can generate energy from on the site of new development. But they will also take advantage of other local energy resources by promoting the use of community heating and power schemes that might be adjacent to the site and serve an entire local community.

Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said:

"It's all about local power. If we are to reach the ambitious zero carbon standards we need a revolution in the way we heat and power our homes. We want councils to do more to back local green energy"

This first Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change will introduce new requirements for councils that make it clear that tackling climate change must be a primary objective of the planning system. It will be published alongside Planning Policy Statement 4 which supports economic development. They are linked together because it is key that eco growth and environmental standards go hand in hand when it comes to the planning system.

Local planning must be refocused to ensure that communities can develop in a way that confronts the twin challenges of the Twenty-First Century - economic globalisation and climate change.

The key priority for any new development continues to be that it uses Brownfield land on sites which are accessible for public transport. However the new rules will mean councils will also have to consider location and look at the potential for renewable energy generation - including sites which are south-facing rather than north-facing so they catch the sun, sites that are windy rather than sheltered, sites over aquifers for ground source heating, or near to business and industrial development to take advantage of surplus heat created by large office and economic developments. For example Barking CHP linked to the power station.

The changes will mean that councils have to think about the location of developments much more. The location of a development must now promote green growth where possible. Plans need allow for renewable energy to be used and provide enough flexibility to allow different businesses to succeed and create jobs.

A consultation is expected to be launched later this week [by BERR] about changes to the energy market that will develop more flexible arrangement to make it economically more viable for distributed energy schemes to contribute to the grid.

Conservatives call for a decentralised energy revolution

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:50:05 GMT

At the Greenpeace offices on Thursday, David Cameron launched a policy paper which set out plans for a decentralised energy revolution in Britain.
The paper, entitled Power to the People, calls for a system of feed-in tariffs, by which people are paid for the energy they produce.

Speaking at the launch, David talked about creating a mass market for micro-generation:

"This is not a pipe dream; it is tomorrow's world."
And he stressed the benefits of a move to decentralised energy:
- Helping fight climate change
- Making our energy supply more secure
- Saving money
- Transforming consumer awareness.

The nationwide feed-in tariff, as seen across Europe, pays consumers for their energy exported to the national grid.

Jeremy Leggett Executive Chairman of Solarcentury said: "With this announcement, the Conservatives have taken a very significant leap forwards on renewable energy policy. We very much welcome the Conservative commitment to delivering an effective, practical and proven mechanism for boosting the uptake of micro-renewables in the UK."

Read the full Power to the People report here