Exploring this week’s industry updates with ?????? ???????????????? as we dive into the latest shifts in the renewable energy landscape. Labour is set to overturn Tory restrictions on solar farms as part of its net-zero strategy, while the UK Government unveils a record-breaking ￡1.5 billion budget for renewable energy auctions. Legal challenges and local opposition continue to impact large-scale solar projects. We also spotlight new partnerships and funding initiatives driving solar, storage, and green energy advancements across the UK and beyond. Let's explore the key trends and developments shaping the future of sustainable energy. ??????
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?? Industry Updates:
Catch up on the latest news, policy changes and trends.
- Labour Abandons Tory Pledge Not to Build Solar Farms on Food-Growing Fields - Planning rules introduced to block the construction of new solar farms on food-producing land will be scrapped under Labour’s net zero drive. Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has signalled she will rip up the Tory era reforms to allow for the expansion of green energy projects. The move is part of a wider overhaul of England’s planning laws, which the Government has said is essential to improve economic growth. It comes after Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, overruled officials to give the go-ahead for Britain’s biggest solar farm on green land. Read the full article.
- The UK Government Announces a Record-breaking ￡1.5 b Budget for the Next Renewable Energy Auction - The substantial increase, which represents a more than 50% boost over previous budgets, aims to accelerate the UK’s transition to clean, affordable, and homegrown energy. The funding, announced by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on Wednesday, July 31, shows the government’s commitment to positioning the UK as a global leader in green technology. The majority of the budget, ￡1.1 billion, will be dedicated to offshore wind, the backbone of the UK’s clean energy strategy. This figure is more than the total budget of all previous auctions combined, sending a strong message to the renewable energy industry to invest in UK waters. Read the full article.
- 500 MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project Faces Legal Threat in UK - Local governments in the United Kingdom have launched a legal challenge against the Sunnica Energy Farm project, claiming the development will put more financial pressure on cash-strapped councils. The Sunnica project was greenlit by the new Labour government in July 2024. The Sunnica Energy Farm solar plus storage project, which has permission for a grid connection of up to 500 MW, was granted development consent following a yearslong process, but continues to face opposition from local politicians and campaigners. Plans for the project consist of a 621-hectare solar park as well as 33 hectares for battery storage, straddling the borders of West Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, England. Read the full article.
- Survey Suggests Opposition to Major Solar Farm - A consultation about a major solar farm in Nottinghamshire has shown the scale of the opposition it faces to being built. Planned for an area north-west of Newark, the Great North Road Solar Park has the potential to power up to 400,000 homes - the equivalent to all of the homes in the county. The consultation, held in January and February, found 54% of respondents opposed the scheme, with 16% supporting the current plan. Among the main reasons people gave for opposing the scheme were its visual and ecological impact. Read the full article.
- UK Installers Team up with British Gas for Residential Solar Push - Effective Energy Group and Forster Group have secured exclusive rights to install Hive Solar, a new home solar package connected to the British Gas smart home management brand. It follows the announcement of a heat pump trial with Daikin scheduled for the third quarter of 2024. Read the full article.
- Devon County Council Given ￡200k for Green Energy Projects - DCC said the funding would be split between two projects - a plan to decarbonise Heathfield industrial estate in Bovey Tracey and a study on installing solar panels on former landfill sites. Councillor Andrea Davis, cabinet member for climate change, said: "This money will allow us to investigate if these sites can be used to generate clean, green energy and potentially income for the council." Read the full article.
- Electric 'Superhighway' Approved Between Scotland and England - A multi-billion pound subsea cable that can shift vast amounts of renewable electricity between Scotland and England has been given the go-ahead by regulators. SSEN Transmission says the energy transfer project is needed to move energy around the grid on days when the wind doesn’t blow or demand is high.The two 315-mile (507km) cables will run from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire and will initially work alongside a similar link down the west coast. Read the full article.
- UK and Poland Finance Turkish Solar Project - The UK’s Standard Chartered Bank will provide a €249 million (￡213 million) loan?for Turkish renewable energy investment company Kalyon Enerji. UK Export Finance (UKEF) and KUKE, the UK and Polish export credit agencies, have guaranteed the loan which will see the construction and operation of solar power plants at seven separate sites across three Turkish provinces, with an aggregate generation capacity of 390MWp. The 390MWp project is said to be Turkey’s second-largest solar development. Read the full article.
- SSE Renewables Hits Milestone for 30GWh Pumped Storage Scheme
- Solar Power Divides Warwickshire’s Farmers
- Iomart Powers First UK Data Centre with Onsite Solar Panels
?? Innovative Technologies:
Discovering the cutting-edge technologies and innovations that are driving sustainability and reshaping the industry.
- Oxford Scientists Are Generating Solar Power Without Panels - Scientists at Oxford University are coating a new solar power-generating material onto objects such as rucksacks, cars, and mobile phones. The potential of this breakthrough means that increasing amounts of solar electricity could be generated without silicon-based solar panels. The Oxford scientists’ new light-absorbing material is, for the first time, thin and flexible enough to apply to the surface of almost any building or common object. By stacking multiple light-absorbing layers into one solar cell (known as a multi-junction approach), a wider range of the light spectrum is harnessed, allowing more power to be generated from the same amount of sunlight. Read the full story.
- Sunswap Electric TRU Endures Trial by Sun - UK: Sunswap has successfully completed a 10-day trial of its battery and solar-powered Endurance transport refrigeration unit with?Moran Logistics, a leading UK multi-temperature logistics specialist. The system was put on real-world routes for Moran’s contract with?Arla Foods, the fifth biggest dairy company in the world. The trial effectively demonstrated Sunswap Endurance’s performance in transporting chilled goods at 2°C. A standout feature of the trial wassail to be its impressive demonstration of solar power. Data shows that Endurance was capable of operating solely on solar energy throughout the entire trial period, highlighting the substantial impact of solar energy. Read the full story.
- New Generation of Floating Wind Farms Moves a Step Closer as Next Phase of Celtic Sea Leasing Round Gets Underway - The Crown Estate has embarked on the latest phase in its Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, which seeks to establish a new generation of floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea off the coasts of South Wales and South West England.?First set out in December 2023, the plans represent a new chapter for the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry, with the potential to see new floating turbines generating enough renewable energy to power more than 4 million homes (up to 4.5 gigawatts). The new wind farms also open up opportunities for thousands of on-shore jobs and new investment through the supply chain.?Round 5 has also become the first leasing round to be brought to market with an agreed plan for connecting the new windfarms to the UK’s electricity grid, with the Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) today publishing its Celtic Sea network design recommendation.?Read the full story.
?? Project Pipelines:
This weeks projects and initiatives that are making a positive impact.
- Root-Power Announces Partnership for BESS Applications - Root-Power, which launched this year with the backing of YLEM Group, has announced the appointment of five planning consultants: Lanpro, PWA Planning, RCA Regeneration, ELG Planning, and Clive Fagg Planning, to drive the growth and delivery of their ambitious pipeline of 40 battery energy storage projects. The projects range from 11 – 100 MW, totalling nearly 2 GW, with applications due to be submitted through the remainder of 2024. This mammoth process represents one of the largest energy initiatives in the UK and will see Root-Power catapult into a position as a market leader. Read the full article.
- New solar, storage JV plans 25 UK sites - Real estate specialists Boultbee Brooks and low-carbon infrastructure development business Infraland have formed a new partnership to produce and supply renewable energy. With five years of experience working together on renewable projects,?Infraland?and Boultbee Brooks have decided to officially come together under the new name of Infrabee.?The business will provide green energy solutions through a series of solar and battery sites across both the UK and Europe as it looks to play a key role in the global switch to a more sustainable and planet-friendly fuel resource. There are currently 25 sites planned across the UK which are either under development or ready to build, with five expected to connect over the next 12 months and the rest due to be energised over the next three years. Read the full article.
- NextEnergy Capital Fund Picks up 248MW PV Portfolio - NextEnergy Capital's latest international OECD Fund, NextPower V ESG, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a 248MW portfolio of 12 solar PV projects in North-Eastern Spain. This transaction for NPV ESG follows the recent acquisitions of a 100MW solar project in the USA, as well as two operational CfD portfolios of 50MW and 66MW in Europe. NPV ESG’s portfolio has been significantly built out during the last six months, with 348MW in construction, 116MW in operations, and over 500MW in exclusivity or advanced negotiation. ?Read the full article.
- Boost for Green Energy in Hampshire with ￡1.5m Funding - This will be possible due to ￡1.5m National Lottery funding aimed at accelerating community-led energy projects. The funding will see Community Energy South, supported by Hampshire County Council, expand its staff and volunteers to train and mentor a larger number of the community. Hampshire County Council's cabinet member for climate change, Cllr Zoe Huggins, said: "While we are playing our part to support the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower through cutting bills, creating jobs and the availability of cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, we have always been clear that success in tackling climate change and achieving Hampshire’s net zero target is reliant on residents and communities taking action. Read the full article.
- Montrose BESS Project gets Planning Go-ahead - Renewable energy firm RES has been granted planning permission for its 49.9MW battery energy storage system (BESS) project near Montrose, Scotland. The Dunmill Energy Storage System has been awarded full planning permission by Angus Council, allowing construction to begin. Although a date for the beginning of construction has yet to be announced, RES estimates construction will take approximately 12 months to complete. The BESS will be located on land adjacent to the Bridge of Dun substation and will be connected to it. Read the full article.
- E-bike Provider Lands Funding for Solar Charging Project
? Talent Spotlight:
Highlighting this weeks hottest jobs in the renewable industry.
- Solar Sales Engineer | Dorset | Up to ￡40k - View Job
- Renewables Sales Engineer | Dorset | Up to ￡40k - View Job
- Mechanical Engineer | Cumbria | Up to ￡30k - View Job
- Electrical Engineer | Cumbria | Up to ￡32k - View Job
- Retrofit Coordinator | Birmingham | Up to ￡45k - View Job
- Project Manager - Wind | Wadebridge | Up to ￡50k - View Job
For all the latest roles, updates and help with hiring specialist, cleantech talent check out Zero Global
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