by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 19, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Innovation
Solar Energy UK have highlighted that Solar PV panels are expected to be included in new regulation to meet energy efficiency targets of homes and buildings in the UK, per Government plans.
Published on the 13th of December, the consultation on the Future of Homes Standard and Future Building Standard says that revisions in legislation will deliver ‘significant carbon savings, affordable running costs over time and prevent the use of gas or fossil fuels for heating and hot water. Therefore, avoiding costly retrofits in the future.’
These new standards must be affordable, practical, and safe. Solar energy meets these requirements.
The possibility of Solar PV panels not being set as a mandatory requirement on new houses has been condemned by the industry.
What the consultation does suggest, however, is two options for new build homes.
Both options could result in lower bills for consumers due to the use of Solar PV panels, wastewater heat recovery systems, high efficiency air source heat pumps and good fabric standards that minimise heat loss from windows, walls, floors and roofs.
Of the two options, it doesn’t say which is preferred but the adoption of Solar generation is highlighted as a minimal option for both.
Option One:
This proposal balances higher additional build costs against lower consumer bills. With this option, homebuilding costs may increase by £62,000 (on average) but costs of heating and hot water bills could decrease between £910-£2120 per year.
Installation of Solar PV, wastewater heat recovery systems, increased airtightness and decentralised mechanical ventilation will help lower consumer bills.
The second proposal does not include the use of the technologies in option one but does focus on lowering additional build costs of homes.
Option two is £1000 more expensive but will save £210-£1420 in overall running costs. For context, the cost to retrofit on existing homes to meet Net Zero standards (before subsides) would be about £12,000.
The consultation explained:
‘We have found no practical way to allow the installation of fossil fuel boilers while also delivering significant carbon savings and ‘zero carbon ready’ homes. We do not expect fossil fuel heating, such as gas, hybrid heat pumps and hydrogen ready boilers to meet these standards.’
How to implement the new regulations found in the Future of Homes Standard and Future Building Standard consultation are expected to be published next year to then be enforced in 2025.
The government have provided recommendations that non-domestic buildings adopt the use of Solar PV and have the panels span 40% of the buildings foundational area and include heat pumps for buildings lit from the side (e.g., offices, hotels, schools). For top lit buildings (warehouses, sports hall, etc), 75% of the buildings foundational area should be covered with Solar PVs or heat pumps.
Cost increases would occur for non-domestic buildings, but these would be minimal. Taking recommendations from option one would be a 2.1% increase, option two would be 1.9%.
The recommendations for non-domestic buildings are a step in the right direction but Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, explained Solar PV on domestic homes must become mandatory.
“In all, the plans are another welcome step towards a truly solar nation. Although we are pleased that the Government is minded to make solar energy effectively mandatory on new non-domestic buildings, it is shocking that not doing so for homes is even on the table. Almost two decades after the Zero Carbon Homes policy was put forward and eight years after it was scrapped, the Government again runs the risk of a massive own goal. Solar Energy UK will press vigorously for solar to be applied to new build housing – cutting bills, saving carbon and helping us all move towards net zero.” – Chris Hewett
To read Solar Energy UK’s full report, click here.
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by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 13, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Innovation
(Image Credit: IAEA (Flickr)
Andrew Bowie MP has been unveiled as the new co-chair of the UK’s Solar Taskforce.
Bowie will now take over from the Rt Hon Graham Stuart as the co-chair of the Solar Taskforce following a reshuffle at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
In previous roles Bowie has lead projects on nuclear and international energy, energy investment and supply chain projects.
At Solar and Storage Live Birmingham 2023, fellow co-chair of the Solar Taskforce and Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, Chris Hewett explained that the creation of the Solar Taskforce is to create a “genuinely joint” industry and government initiative to work together and achieve the 70GW target of Solar generation in the UK by 2035.
The UK’s Solar Taskforce is currently tackling to develop a roadmap for delivering the UK target of 70GW of Solar generation which will be published prior to Solar and Storage Live London in 2024.
Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, said:
“The news of Graham Stuart’s change of duties is unfortunate timing, but I would like to thank him for being a most effective co-chair of the Solar Taskforce alongside me and a genuinely enthusiastic champion of solar energy. We look forward to engaging with Andrew Bowie as the taskforce begins to conclude its work, as well as continuing to work with Minister Stuart as he takes on the critical brief of addressing network issues.”
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by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 13, 2023 | Innovation
The latest draft of the United Nation’s COP28 climate agreement has removed the phaseout of fossil fuels.
The document explains that countries ‘could’ cut the consumption and production of fossil fuels amongst other suggestions.
The wording of the document has received backlash from some countries that are accusing Saudi Arabia and other Nations from pushing out efforts to tackle global warming.
Even with the backlash, the COP28 document will need to be agreed by almost 200 countries at the summit in Dubai.
The document highlights multiple actions that countries ‘could’ take to cut greenhouse gas emissions to meet Net Zero targets by 2050.
The document includes reducing the “consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly, and equitable manner so as to achieve Net Zero emissions by, before, or around 2050 in keeping with the science.”
The criticism comes from the document implying there is a choice on whether you should phase out fossil fuels, rather than a mandatory agreement to phase out fossil fuels indefinitely.
European Union (EU) Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra described the draft the document as “clearly insufficient” explaining “for the vast majority of our emissions we have no alternative other than to drive them down and out as soon as possible.”
A lot of the negotiations and ministers from Nations opposing the draft document have accused Saudi Arabia of pressuring Sultan al-Jaber, COP28 president and the Head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, to shift focus on any agreement away from fossil fuels.
Sultan al-Jaber, COP28 president and the Head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said:
“We have made progress but we will have a lot to do… I want you to develop the highest ambition on all terms, including the fossil fuel language.”
The German Foreign Minister Amalena Baerbach explained that it is “misleading” to argue that fossil fuels could play an essential role in energy as it contradicts EU energy policy and allows for new coal power plants to be built.
The UK Government described the draft as “disappointing and did not go far enough” explaining an explicit call to phase out fossil fuels must be included in the document to achieve climate goals.
The document must be agreed by all Nations attending COP28 in Dubai.
by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 6, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Video
As the Solar industry continues its unprecedented growth, a lot of information about Solar’s deployment has become misrepresented.
It is the Solar industries job to disprove any myths and inaccuracies. This article will explore and bust the most common myths in the Solar industry.
Myth 1: Solar Panels depend on good weather to work efficiently.
Solar panels are designed to be operational in all types of weather conditions.
- During the testing period of a Solar PV, panels are subjected to temperatures between 65 and minus 10 degrees and winds of up to 140miles per hour.
- As well as this, it is proved that panels work completely fine when it is cloudy, snowy or hailing.
It is important to know that Solar PVs do not need direct sunlight to work, all they need to get the photons operational and electricity generated is sunlight.
The only weather condition that decreases a Solar PVs efficiency is extreme heat, but panels are only affected in temperatures above 40 degrees.
Myth 2: Installing Solar panels reduce the value of your house.
- This is untrue, quite the opposite happens.
The first worry consumers have is that Solar panels damage their homes and reduce their value. However, Solar PVs design frames are designed to fit perfectly on your roof. As well as this, the company you use should send a representative to carry out a visual check and ensure a safe installation.
Once Solar PVs, or another renewable generation, are installed this will only increase the value of your house.
House prices fluctuate due to a variety of factors (location, market, trends, inflation) but government figures have proved that Solar can increase a house’s value. In 2013, Solar was shown to increase house prices by 14%.
In the present day, Rightmove are reporting Solar can increase a house price by 25%.
Myth 3: Solar deployment damages the local environment.
- Again, the opposite is the truth.
Solar Energy UK have released an article explaining there is clear evidence that ‘well designed, well managed Solar can support wildlife habitats and can contribute to contribute to achieving national bio-diversity targets.
Land used for solar power can still be used for all farming and agricultural needs with little to no impact on yields.
Companies have now established AgriPV.
AgriPV are Solar systems that work in synergy with agricultural processes. This technology provides a lot of opportunity for the decarbonisation of agriculture as it integrates the electricity generation with day-to-day business of agriculture.
Once myths like these have been debunked, the Solar industry can continue its growth at a more impressive rate.
If the industry does not address these misconceptions faster, the industry will come across avoidable barriers to deployment.
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Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
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by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 5, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Large Scale Utility Solar
Energy company Centrica Business Solutions are on their way to agreeing a Solar based Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Smart Agricultural Aluminium.
Construction has already begun on the 2.9MW solar installation that can be found on the rooftops of three buildings at a site in Southwest Wales.
Centrica will provide Smart Agricultural Aluminium with 2.7GW of renewable energy each year over a 25-year period.
This means 20% of the sites energy requirements will be supplied by the 7000 strong solar panel site.
“The project with Smart Architectural Aluminium represents one of our largest roof top solar arrays to date and we’re delighted to help them to meet their decarbonisation ambition. We want to continue supporting organisations with their sustainability challenges, this in turn creates more resilient businesses that can stand the test of time as well as reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels – accelerating our journey towards net zero. To be able to finance this deal in a zero-capital way, is an incredibly attractive package for many businesses, who are wrestling with the balance between planet and profit, our message is you don’t need to make it a binary choice, you can do both.” – Justin Jacober, Managing Director, Centrica
The long-term PPA has been signed for the Solar project. The projects will be complete in 2024 and will see Centrica lease the roof space, finance the project, and agree the PPA for onsite energy generation.
“We’re excited to be working alongside Centrica to facilitate a significant portion of our energy demand from the roofs over our heads. Our net zero ambitions are at the heart of our growth strategy, and once construction is complete it will be great to know that a huge proportion of our future energy use will be both carbon neutral and affordable.” – Dean Thomas, Managing Director, Smart Architectural Aluminium
Centrica’s deal with Smart Agricultural Aluminium isn’t the only PPA the energy company has finalised.
In February 2023, Centrica and Mytilineos signed a corporate PPA with telecommunications company Vodafone UK.
The deal covers five sites, located in Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, generating 232MW of electricity.
by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 4, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Large Scale Utility Solar, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Jason Kirrage, Technical Marketing Manager for SolarEdge Technologies, at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
SolarEdge are a technology company that were founded in 2006 with the first of their products being available in the UK in 2010. At Solar and Storage Live, SolarEdge were showcasing their innovative new product, the SolarEdge1!
The SolarEdge1 is a new ‘amazing product’ that combines both innovations in software and hardware. Jason explained in the panel discussion before his presentation on the SolarEdge1, the speakers were complaining that ‘no one integrates Solar PV, heat pumps, and electric vehicle (EV) technology together and the technology is difficult to install.’
The SolarEdge1, Jason explained, joins all of these technologies together; any third party or SolarEdge device will now work together. The technology allows for the control and scheduling of electricity generation, the charging and discharging of EVs, all the while taking into account the use of dynamic tariffs.
The SolarEdge1 can adapt to all their customers needs.
SolarEdge also offer a range of residential, commercial, and utility battery energy storage systems. Whether each system includes a battery, back-up, or EV charging system, all of which use the same technology contributing to SolarEdge’s commitment to safety.
“We have no competitors to be honest. SolarEdge are the standard (for safety) everyone should adhere and raise up to.” – Jason Kirrage, Technical Marketing Manager, SolarEdge
SolarEdge offer safety as standard. Optimisers can be lowered to one volt, allowing maintenance to be carried out as easy as possible.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 1, 2023 | Innovation, Storage, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Christy Tattershall, Business Development Manager, for SolarPort Systems at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Christy Tattershall joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss SolarPort Systems’ experience at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year and the benefits of SolarPort being a family run business.
The Tattershall family are the masterminds behind the UK’s leading design and manufacturer of Utility-Scale, Modular, Battery Energy Storage and mounting systems. Bringing this family dynamic into the Solar industry is incredibly important to SolarPort, Christy explained that they like to project this dynamic onto their customers and highlight they are dealing with people and not a faceless organisation.
“If someone has a problem, that is our problem. We want to deal with that. It starts with the family, it is the beating heart of our business!” – Christy Tattershall, Business Development Manager, SolarPort Systems
Each of the Tattershall’s have worked in different areas of the Solar industry allowing for SolarPort to benefit from different perspectives and assist their customers in the best way possible.
Christy explained SolarPort had a very successful three days at Solar and Storage Live. The event allowed SolarPort to meet old, new, and present customers and discuss how each stakeholder can benefit from each other. Year after year, Christy said, the conversations at Solar and Storage Live have become more and more fruitful, giving the industry and ‘injection of buzz’ until the next event.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Dec 1, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Large Scale Utility Solar
In 2023, Aiko Solar and Segen announced their partnership to push the deployment of renewable generation in the UK and Europe.
Marina Shi, Head of Aiko Solar UK, explained that Aiko only started the sale of Solar modules two years ago and 2023 began the first year the clean energy technology company started selling into European and UK markets.
The partnership with Segan allows Aiko to benefit from the leading renewable energy distribution services Segen offer and create a one-stop shop for solar solutions for all businesses.
Segen introducing Aiko’s products provides various technological benefits, one of these is the improvement in system efficiency for both residential and commercial rooftops.
“In both residential and commercial rooftop solar, there’s an increasing need for higher efficiency panels as well as improved aesthetics. Those are two really important customer requirements, especially aesthetics in residential, where the look of the house is an important factor for homeowners.” – James Galloway, European Technical Director, Segen
Many renewable projects are based off finances, therefore having high efficiency is very important in improving and delivering an improved return on investment and project yield.
What Segen are looking for are their products and services to go beyond their customer’s basic needs.
Aiko’s products are known for demonstrating high levels of robustness, high product performance and low annual degradation. Subsequently creating value for their customers throughout their products lifecycle.
Pushing new Solar cell technologies and improving its efficiency remains one of Aiko’s top priorities.
High levels of efficiency are particularly important for rooftop PV in the UK, this is because space for Rooftop PV is already limited. Aiko’s ABC panels deliver up to 24% of panel efficiency on commercial panels and 23% on residential panels.
Aiko Solar’s goal is to become a market leader in the UK but Marina Shi is very aware their journey into this new market has only just begun.
“I think right now, for the UK market, we have just started. We are focusing more on the module side at the moment but there are some innovations with the modules that we are still looking to explore and we actually have a light module that is very exciting in our roadmap.” – Marina Shi, Head of Aiko Solar UK
Once Aiko have established themselves fully into the UK market, they will be able to bring new innovative technology to the market and support the regions decarbonising journey.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 30, 2023 | Storage, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Jeremy Yapp, Policy and Regulation Director for ev.energy, at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Throughout our interview, Jeremy discussed how the UK can unlock domestic flexibility and drive electric vehicle (EV) uptake within the UK.
What Jeremy wanted to make clear regarding unlocking domestic flexibility was that we must move away from the thought that the consumer is the only stakeholder responsible when unlocking domestic flexibility. There are various policies and technical challenges that must be correct and they are not…
Jeremy explained, in order to unlock domestic flexibility the community must move away from the notion that ‘your flexibility provider must be the same as your electricity provider’, this is not the case.
ev.energy involve consumers in a virtual EV power plant that can engage customers in managing fluctuations in the grid and allow for more renewable generation.
Driving EV uptake is essential when reaching net zero. Jeremy explained once a customer has driven an EV, very few go back to an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle. In order to increase the consumer uptake of EVs, car companies must create more EVs because, Jeremy explained, companies can sell them as fast as they can make them.
With more EVs on the market, uptake of these vehicles will increase; as will the secondary market, creating a more accessible and affordable EV market.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 28, 2023 | Storage, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Gavin Harper, Met4Tech Research Fellow for University of Birmingham, at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Gavin joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss the importance of recycling materials in renewable technologies to ensure an efficient transition to Net Zero.
Gavin explained a transition to net zero will only be achieved if we increase the lifespan of the materials used in renewable technologies.
Companies must identify the best practise to disassemble out of use technologies and use the materials in new supply chains. Keeping materials within a circular economy will help increase the efficiency of materials, increase businesses positive impact on the environment and provide a valuable resources for the next generation of batteries and Solar panels.
The same process must be included to unlock mass EV uptake. This is an enormous resource opportunity in keeping materials in end-of-life technologies in the system.
Ensuring this process will keep the renewable energy transition as renewable as possible.
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Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 27, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Large Scale Utility Solar, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Ross Kent, Head of Sales for UK, Ireland & Scandinavia for Q Cells, at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Ross joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss how QCells maintain a close relationship with their customers with growing competition in the Solar market.
Ross explained the main challenge that QCells are facing in the Solar market is the increase in competition with new manufacturers entering the market. With increasing competition, Ross made it clear that QCells must maintain a close relationship with their customers to remaining successful.
QCells are focusing on providing customers with added value outside of reduced price and availability. Ross explained these factors are contributing to all businesses in the Solar industry’s success, QCells must offer more than these two benefits. The additional services QCells offer include:
- Offering in house design and resourcing services for a customer’s projects.
- Providing local level availability.
- On demand service.
Offering additional services like these could allow QCells to stay ahead of new competition entering the Solar market.
“QCells wants… to have a close relationship with its customers. We’ve always had a local presence in the market, we want to be close the installer network and have conversations with them on a daily basis. That is what we are all about!” – Ross Kent, Head of Sales for UK, Ireland & Scandinavia for Q Cells
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 27, 2023 | Innovation
In 2022, Solar contributed to 4.4% of the UK’s electricity needs generating 8.67GWH of energy.
However, there has been a focus on how weather events, impacted by climate change, are affecting the technologies generation.
The findings have shown that increasing Solar’s durability should be of paramount importance.
In July 2023 a Chief Scientific Advisor for the Met Office, Stephen Belcher, chaired a discussion to investigate the impacts of weather conditions on UK Solar and Wind.
The findings were published on November the 21st, highlighting the vulnerabilities in the UK’s Solar market.
A key vulnerability is that UK’s Solar infrastructure is usually concentrated in smaller areas, which can increase the risk of localised infrastructure disruption.
For example, storm damage to cables will decrease the generation of the entire Solar capacity. To avoid this issue, the Solar asset must be spread out to avoid having a single point of concentration.
The research also found that current increase in temperature will affect Solar panels performance. It is important to know that high temperatures will only lower the efficiency of Solar PVs. The PV will not be damaged by reusing temperatures.
When air temperature reaches 23% the silicon in the PV will drop efficiency.
Alastair Buckley, Professor of Organic Electronics at the University of Sheffield, explained that increased temperatures will only ‘marginally affect the overall output of Solar power’ explaining its impact as a ‘secondary affect’.
Weather forecasting can help with managing the impacts affecting Solar generation but this can be hard to determine.
“With longer and sunnier days, solar power produces high yields of energy, some of which will be stored in batteries for later use. Summer in the UK can often bring unpredictable weather which is why solar generation works well in tandem with other renewable energy sources, such as wind. During sunny weather, it’s typically not windy, so when there’s not enough wind to turn the turbines solar, solar can help make up that difference – and vice-versa.” Chris Hewett, Chief Executive, Solar Energy UK
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 24, 2023 | Innovation
At Solar and Storage Live London 2024 (29-30 April), RePower Ukraine will be attending as an official media partner. The initiative focusses on securing electricity supply to Ukraine’s hospitals during the current invasion by Russian forces. Attending Solar and Storage Live will provide RePower Ukraine the opportunity to meet potential funding partners who could sponsor a generation project on a hospital and contribute to Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. The RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce it has enlisted the help of members of the UK PV industry to collaborate on PV and battery projects for hospital and frontline medical centres.
The RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce it has enlisted the help of members of the UK PV industry to collaborate on PV and battery projects for hospital and frontline medical centres.
Established in 2022 by a group of Ukrainian energy professionals the RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation aims to provide emergency energy assistance to critical facilities in Ukraine. The foundation has already implemented 2 projects in Kharkiv and Irpin with combined solar and battery storage systems providing critical loads back-up at both sites. Two more projects are currently in the pipeline with generous donations from UK suppliers and support from industry professionals. Repower Ukraine is supported by a network of volunteers across Europe and have recently been joined by Camille Dressler and Nick Arnold as Ambassadors for Scotland and the UK respectively.
The charity’s core mission is to bolster Ukraine’s energy resilience while fostering a sustainable and eco-friendly recovery. To realize this vision RePower Ukraine concentrates its efforts on four pivotal project pillars: construction of PV plants with storage systems for hospitals; providing energy backup equipment for frontline surgery teams and field hospitals; implementing educational initiatives in the renewable energy sector; installing solar-powered lighting solutions in de-occupied and war-affected regions.
Current projects include a proposed project for the Kyiv Regional Perinatal Center, a highly specialized medical and preventive institution that delivers babies and offers round-the-clock support to pregnant women. Due to the ongoing shelling affecting the energy networks the hospital requires a self-reliant energy source for its critical maternity, resuscitation, and nursing departments.
“The initiative’s primary goal is to facilitate the installation of a rooftop PV plant with a capacity of 21.6 kW and a battery with a capacity of 12.4 kWh. This autonomous energy system will generate enough power to meet approximately one-third of the hospital’s total electricity consumption, ensuring energy security and uninterrupted medical treatment in critical areas such as maternity, intensive care, and surgery units.” – stated Yaroslava Denisova, Director of the RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation, in Kyiv, October 2, 2023.
RePower Ukraine extends a warm invitation to individuals, organizations, and businesses to become valued partners in the mission to strengthen Ukraine’s healthcare system. Help could be provided via financial donations and the donation of energy equipment or with technical design and fund raising. You can contribute directly through one of our fundraising campaigns, by visiting the RePower Ukraine website or by working with our ambassadors.
Your support is crucial and you have the power to make a meaningful impact on saving lives.
For more information, please visit http://www.RePowerUkraine.org.
Contact: pr@repowerua.org / nick@repowerua.org
Iryna Zahorodnia
Communication Manager
RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/repowerua
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/repowerua
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RepowerUa
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 23, 2023 | Innovation, Storage, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Claire Miller, Independent Energy Advisor and Consultant and Former Director of Technology and Innovation at Octopus Electric Vehicles, ahead of Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry!
Claire joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss the role of Vehicle-to-Grid in managing electricity demand, unlocking mass EV uptake and making sure the transition to net zero vehicles is accessible for everyone.
Two things Claire wanted to make clear was the delay in implementing new technologies and the accessibility of the transition to net zero vehicles.
Claire explained there are a lot of great technologies that can assist companies transition their fleets to net zero, however the piloting stage of these projects are taking too long. Companies must move away from slow project lifecycles and get the technologies implemented faster. Claire highlighted Volvo, DAF and Scania as companies who have already added net zero vehicles to their fleers.
Ensuring everyone can be a part of the transition to net zero vehicles is essential when reaching net zero. Claire explained there is an inequality at most companies around EV purchasing schemes, where certain employees can miss out on this. As well as this, current infrastructure doesn’t included accessibility at its core. Where disabled individuals are unable to use infrastructure as easily as able bodied individuals.
This must be amended to ensure a collective transition to net zero. There is a design standard, PAZ1899, that aims to ensure all infrastructure is built for everyone. Unfortunately, this is not law.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 22, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Large Scale Utility Solar, Storage
On the second day of Solar and Storage Live London (10:00AM – 30 April 2024), key members of the UK’s Solar Taskforce will unveil and discuss ‘The 2024 Solar Roadmap’.
The Solar Roadmap will be published in February 2024 and will highlight recommendations and targets that the industry and government will need to meet to increase the deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted Solar and reach 70GW of Solar generations by 2035.
Speaking on the Keynote panel in London are:
- Mark Wakeford, Chairman, EVO Energy
- Adam Howard, Banking & Investment Director, UK Infrastructure Bank
- Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive, Energy Networks Association
- Ben Fawcett, Head of Solar, EDF Renewables UK
- Alex DeSouza, General Counsel – EMEA/Head of Transactions, Lightsource BP
- Ian Rippin, Chief Executive, MCS
- Ross Grier, COO, NextEnergy Capital
All the speakers taking part will be highlighting what the government and industry will need to do to deliver Solar in the UK.
At Solar and Storage Live 2023, Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, discussed the creation of the UK’s Solar taskforce and its emphasis on genuine collaboration between industry and government.
Chris explained the creation of the Solar taskforce is to create a “genuinely joint” industry and government initiative to work together and achieve the 70GW target of Solar generation in the UK by 2035.
The initiative is co-chaired by Chris and Rt Hon Graham Stuart, The Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and has 8 different members from the Solar industry.
Announcing this collaboration at Birmingham is just the start of this industry and government collaboration.
At Solar and Storage London, the UK will have a clear and concise roadmap for how we can achieve the 70GW of Solar generation in the UK by 2035.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 21, 2023 | Large Scale Utility Solar
(Photo Credit: Olsen Terje)
National Grid have announced it has completed work on its Lister Drive 275kV substation in Liverpool.
The engineering work has connected Statkraft’s new Greener Grid Park to the electricity transmission network, enabling an emission free way to boost system stability.
The Lister Drive substation and the Greener Grid Park occupy an historic location for fossil fuel generation in Liverpool.
“It’s apt that Lister Drive should be a site for this new green technology providing essential stability services to the grid, given its historical significance for energy generation in Liverpool. It’s now playing a key role in helping Britain harness increasing volumes of renewable power into the future.” – Mark Brindley, Project Director (Northern region), National Grid
The development from National Grid (and ESO) continues on from their commitment in introducing new measures to reform grid connections in England and Wales.
A cleaner power generation system must be developed.
The physical engineering works are a big part of developing new and existing connections to the transmission network.
The work included:
- Ensuring the ‘specialised synchronous compensators and flywheel at Statkraft’s site are fully operational and are supplying stability services to help National Grid ESO to manage system frequency.
- Installing a new disconnecting circuit breaker to upgrade the protection and central software.
- Running a new 275kV cable between the sites to make the transition network connection.
Since 2018, National Grid have spent £5billion to upgrade, adapt and maintain the electricity transmission network.
By 2026 this target total targeted spend will be £9billion.
Read National Grid’s full article here.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 20, 2023 | Innovation, Large Scale Utility Solar
National Grid have published a report highlighting the 7 key points about electricity grid connections and what they are doing to increase and improve grid connections.
- Grid connections drive the need for new substations, power lines and transformers to handle more energy.
Predicting future electricity demand on substations must be taken into account when the network is being designed.
- All grid connections can differ in size.
With different technologies wanting to connect to the grid to improve connectivity, the technology landscape is changing all the time. Those designing the network must be aware of this.
- Grid connections fall into two categories, Generation and Demand.
National Grid have already connected 90 power generations to the transmission network, including 30GW of zero carbon sources.
Demand connections are for Distribution Network Operator’s (DNOs) who connect grid supply points to enable a safe onward flow of electricity.
- Significant engineering work goes into grid connections.
Each connection requires a bespoke physical point to plug in to. Adding to transformers and other equipment to existing substations or buildings can add years onto new grid connections delivery time.
Plug-in-and-play technologies could help make grid connections faster and more flexible, subsequently decreasing the reliance on global supply chains due to long delivery times.
- Electricity connection pipelines are oversubscribed.
Rapid change in time and volume of products wanting a grid connection has led to an oversubscribed connection pipeline.
Over 300GW worth of projects have been contracted to connect in England and Wales, this is a 100GW increase since April, compared to the 65GW today.
Two thirds of projects will not be ready to connect to the grid but once they are in the pipeline, they will influence the networks design.
National Grid are monitoring the viability of projects in the pipeline to combat this.
- National Grid are taking action with industry to improve connection processes.
Alongside the Electricity System Operator (ESO), Transmission System Operators (TSO), DNO, Government and Regulators, National Grid have offered a two-step process to speed up grid connections.
This will provide space to introduce short term improvements outlined in the ESO’s 5 point plan and provide a queue management system for faster plug in to the grid.
In the short term, however, the Electricity Networks Association’s 2 step plan could unlock 40GW of capacity for local connections.
- National Grid have invested £16billion to manage the overhaul of grid connections (between 2021-2026) and support net zero goals.
This investment will enable the grid to connect and carry more electricity to communities around the country, whilst speeding up connections to a cleaner, more affordable energy system.
To view National Grid’s report, click here.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 17, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Innovation, Large Scale Utility Solar
Auction Round 5 saw 56 Solar projects secure nearly 2GW of available capacity to boost the technologies growth.
On the 16th of November, the UK government announced that the administrative strike price for the latest Contracts for Difference round will be £61/mwh.
This is a 30% increase from Solar’s strike price in Auction Round 5 (AR5) which was set at £47/mwh.
“The Conference for Difference system has been a major factor in the growth of UK’s solar power sector by providing investors with a secure and reliable income.” – Chris Hewett, Chief Executive, Solar Energy UK.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) explained that the increase in strike price is to “offer certainty to developers and keep the UK at the cutting edge of renewables.”
AR5 was incredibly successful for the solar industry.
A total of 56 solar projects secured almost 2GW (1.928MW) of the 3.7GW of capacity awarded to renewable projects.
The 30% increase in strike price has opened the door for future solar projects to become more sustainable and more economically viable.
This price being raised should assist the market in reaching the 70GW of renewable capacity target by 2035.
Solar remains the cheapest source of electricity, with more projects aiming to secure capacity when AR6 opens on the 27th of March 2024.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 16, 2023 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Sturge Mazzocchi, Head of Partnerships & Business Development for Solar Energy UK, at Solar and Storage Live in Birmingham this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
In association with SSE Renewables, Solar Energy UK launched the recruitment zone; a purpose-built stage attracting new job candidates into the Solar and Storage industry. Sturge Mazzocchi was at the forefront of the Recruitment Zone at Solar and Storage Live this year where 100 job vacancies were available to candidates wanting to enter the industry or wanting a change of role within the renewable energy space.
Sturge explained the importance of initiatives like the Recruitment Zone are to keep up with the rising demand for Solar in the UK. With the demand for Solar generation increasing, the industry will also grow, leading to the need of a larger Solar and Storage workforce. The recruitment zone helped highlight the challenge of filling the new roles in Solar and offered these new roles directly to aspiring candidates.
“The reason why we have done it is because the Solar and battery industries are two that are booming, they are also stretching. They are reaching or exceeding the capacity of their workforce that is needed to meet the high growth demands of Solar. If we don’t put something like the recruitment zone on, what is there to accommodate the need for higher employment?” – Sturge Mazzocchi, Head of Partnerships & Business Development for Solar Energy UK
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Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Nov 16, 2023 | Innovation, Large Scale Utility Solar
Ofgem intervene following breaches in consumer protection legislation
(images: Getty Images/Adobe)
The UK energy regulator, Ofgem has been forced to investigate the solar based Community Energy Scheme (CES) UK and the Community Energy Scheme Stoke (CESS) to identify whether they have contravened consumer protection legislation through its sales and customer service practices.
CES operate a community engagement scheme where it installs Solar PVs on homes in Stoke-on-Trent and sells the electricity back to its tenants.
Following this investigation, Ofgem have now presented a selection of measures that will help to prevent any additional concerns related to the scheme.
CES and CESS have agreed to implement Ofgem’s suggested measures.
The key concerns that Ofgem, CES and CESS have addressed include:
- CES and CESS have agreed to amend existing and new contracts to include a termination clause where customers can leave their scheme at any time.
- The scheme has also been changed to include clear information to consumers about applied and estimated charges.
- Ofgem recommended that consumers who have signed up to the energy scheme, prior to the 19th of September 2019, can leave for free within a 30-day period and can add a termination clause. Leaving within the 30-day period is a one-off offer by CES and CESS.
Ofgem hope that recommending these changes, and investigating other potential issues, will have a similar effect as an authority exercising its enforcement powers.
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Our next event is Solar and Storage Live London, April 29-30 2024!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com.
For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
