subsidies

Last week, renewables developer and investor Hazel Capital was acquired by Gresham House. Tony Dalwood, chief executive of the asset management group, explains to Solar Power Portal what the acquisition means for both Gresham House and Hazel Capital; what projects will be brought forward from the existing pipeline; and what uncertainties lay ahead for UK energy storage.

Renewable generation set a new record in the UK throughout Q2 2017, however there have been repeated warnings for government as solar deployment continued to falter.

“Absurd” claims that solar panels devalue a property when it is on the market have been refuted by the Solar Trade Association (STA), with chief executive Paul Barwell telling Solar Power Portal “there is no factual evidence” for it.

Earlier this month Solarcentury chief Frans van den Heuvel became the fifth recipient of the Solar Power Portal Awards’ outstanding achievement accolade. We caught up with Frans to discuss his five years at the helm of one of the UK solar industry’s stalwarts and what the future might hold for the firm.

All low carbon technologies should be able to access the same markets and compete on an equal basis for contracts according to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), whose latest policy consultation flies in the face of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy (CGS).

The Confederation of British Industry has added to the growing number of bodies, associations and other third parties to call for the inclusion of mature technologies in future auctions.

The Solar Trade Association (STA) has responded strongly to a lack of solar policy announcements within today’s Clean Growth Strategy reveal, arguing that the government is “artificially holding back” the technology.

The UK solar industry has been made to wait on future government action after the long-awaited Clean Growth Strategy deferred relevant decisions for the technology until later this year.

The UK Energy Research Centre (ERC) has urged Dieter Helm’s cost of energy review to consider the potential for technology-neutral auctions for the UK market.

Last week’s Solar & Storage Live saw the UK’s entire supply chain descend on Birmingham’s NEC for three days of industry leading and thought provoking discussions, business brokering and a few celebrations here of there. Liam Stoker summarises some of the things we picked up from the show floor this year.