Commercial & Residential Solar

Marks & Spencer has become the latest victim of Government’s feed-in tariff cuts as the retail chain is forced to abandon plans for a large-scale solar system at its Bradford distribution centre.

In a bid to stop the confusion surrounding some of the UK’s energy initiatives, E.ON has reinforced its commitment to help UK customers understand and take advantage of programmes such as the Green Deal and smart metering. The move comes after reports from the Committee on Climate Change and the National Audit Office which echoed E.ON’s concern that customers remain bewildered by measures designed to help them reduce energy consumption.

Just found out that someone has started a new UK solar PV company with the name Suncat. Now it may be a coincidence, but seems like we could be running into territory best described by the saying “Imitation is the best form of flattery”.

Ecotricity has today completed its ground-breaking 1MW solar parkin Lincolnshire, which is expected to be among only a handful of large-scale projects completed in the UK. The huge installation of solar panels has been constructed on Fen Farm on land next to the Conisholme 20-turbine wind farm and is expected to generate enough electricity for nearly 300 average homes each year for the next 25 years.

Landmark buildings in Cambridge are soon to be recognized for their solar generating power as the council looks to cash in on the Government’s feed-in tariff scheme. By installing solar panels on buildings such as the Corn Exchange and on the roofs of Parkside pools the £430,000 project will also reduce the area’s carbon footprint.

Yorkshire-based Solar Europa has begun work on what is thought to be one of the largest free solar schemes in the UK. Under a £1.2 billion contract signed with project finance specialist AD-ECO, the scheme will see approximately 200,000 council and housing association tenants across the country benefitting from solar panel installations.

Waverley council has signed a deal with Savills Solar for the roll out of solar power across the borough’s social housing sector. A total of 3,000 homes will be checked by Savills for suitability for the scheme, which will see residents benefit from free renewable electricity.

Centrosolar has extended the product warranty for its crystalline modules, manufactured at its Sonnenstromfabrik solar factory in Wismar, Germany, from five to 10 years. Applying retroactively from today, the newly enhanced warranty reinforces the company’s ‘made in Germany’ quality stamp.

North Oxford residents are being asked to dig deep and donate towards a solar power installation at Cherwell School. Aiming for a minimum total of £145,000 organisers at Oxford North Community Renewables (ONCORE) hope to raise the total by asking for investment from the locals.

Sounds dull I know … but it has reduced the normally calm Sundog Energy engineer sat on the desk behind me to screaming point. I have held off writing this for a few weeks as I keep thinking that I will be able to present a clear conclusion – but that point still looks a while off. Smaller systems are relatively uncomplicated.