Editor’s Blog

In many ways the UK solar industry will be happy to see the back of 2012. Fast-track reviews, legal challenges, reference dates, consultations and RO banding reviews all loomed large over industry.

As the solar industry begins to wind down for a much-deserved holiday break, I thought it might be an appropriate time to take a look back at 2012’s most read stories on Solar Power Portal.

It has been 50 days since DECC closed its consultation over proposals to slash the available Renewable Obligation (RO) rate for large-scale solar to 1.5 ROCs. Yet it appears that industry is still no closer to knowing what the RO rate will be from 1 April, 2013 to 31 March, 2017.

The long-awaited Energy Bill was finally presented to parliament today. The bill included a number of factors that are set to significantly impact on the UK solar market.

The Cambridge University Eco Racing team (CUER) has unveiled designs for its latest solar powered racing car. Codenamed ‘Daphne’, the prototype is being developed to take part in – and with any luck win – the 2013 World Solar Challenge, an arduous 3,000km road race from north to south Australia in cars powered by the sun.

After suffering four potential knockout punches, solar (arguably the UK’s most resilient industry) is staggering slightly. Following the latest feed-in tariff (FiT) cut, installations plummeted by over 75%. Such a dramatic drop was expected but the market bounce-back hasn’t been quite as quick as many hoped.

Set up in 2010, Solar Solutions has gone from strength-to-strength despite the recent troubles facing the solar industry. Solar Power Portal caught up with the company’s Managing Director, David McCann to find out what’s been driving the success.

The latest installation figures show that the residential market is beginning to show serious signs of recovery, but is it enough to support the 4,500 MCS-registered solar companies?

An apparent shock energy policy announcement at Prime Minister’s questions has plunged the Coalition Government into crisis management mode as Labour accuses Government of making up an energy policy “like something out of The Thick Of It”, in reference the BBC comedy satirising the manipulation of hapless ministers by the government spin machine.

This year’s Solar Power UK event has come to an end. After an incredible 4,500 visitors, 178 exhibitors and 69 seminar speeches, it’s fair to say that the solar industry is still a significant force in the UK.