Exploring this week's industry updates with ?????? ???????????????? as we take a look into the latest industry developments. Labour’s ambitious plans for a zero-carbon power system by 2030 face substantial challenges, E.ON partners with Ripple Energy to make renewable energy ownership accessible, and the UK’s solar PV capacity reaches 16.9GW. We also cover Labour and Solar Energy UK's efforts to combat misconceptions about solar’s impact on farming, and the UK government's plan to launch a $10 billion clean energy development company. Were taking a look at the key trends and developments that have happened this week which promise to shape the landscape of sustainable energy. ??????
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Catch up on the latest news, policy changes and trends.
- UK Government Faces a Substantial Challenge in Order to Deliver a Zero-carbon Power System by 2030 - Labour’s plans to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind capacity would require extensive increases beyond current 2030 projections: adding 35 GW to onshore wind (17 GW above projected levels), 50? GW to offshore wind (2 7GW above projections), and 55 GW to solar (10GW above projections). Their plans will face substantial challenges, particularly with funding, supply chain issues, grid connections, and port capacity. Cornwall Insight's modelling predicts that an additional ￡48 billion will be needed on top of the ￡18 billion the current infrastructure buildout is already predicted to cost to meet the government's ambition. Therefore, attracting that investment into the country is going to be critical to delivery. Increased funding for schemes such as Contract for Difference (CfD) might attract more business by providing greater returns, but significant global bottlenecks remain. Read the full article.
- E.ON UK and Ripple Energy Partner to Make Renewable Energy Ownership Accessible - E.ON UK has announced a new partnership with Ripple Energy aimed at making renewable electricity ownership more accessible and affordable for people across the country. This initiative allows individuals to own part of a wind farm or solar park through a cooperative model. By owning a source of clean power, participants can directly contribute to sustainable energy solutions, accelerating the transition to net zero and combatting climate change. Ripple Energy collaborates with suppliers like E.ON Next to apply savings from renewable energy sites directly to customers' electricity bills, enabling homes and businesses to be powered by renewable energy. Read the full article.
- UK’s Solar PV Capacity Hits 16.9GW - The government has released new figures on solar PV installations in the UK. As of the end of June 2024, the UK has a total of 16.9GW of solar capacity across 1,595,916 installations. This represents an increase of 8.5% or 1.3GW compared to June 2023. In June 2024, there were 15,807 new installations, contributing 65MW of capacity. This is a slight decrease from May 2024 but remains higher than average levels observed between 2016 and 2021. Read the full article.
- Labour and Solar Energy UK Out to Disprove Solar’s Threat to UK Farming - Ed Miliband, the newly appointed Secretary of State for the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DENSZ), and Solar Energy UK have announced a collaboration to combat misconceptions around solar’s threat to UK farming. Misconceptions around solar energy have constituted an obstacle to the development of solar projects in the UK, with one of the most common arguments being that solar farms are a threat to national food security.?Critics have argued that solar farms damage farmland and prevent farmers from carrying out their day-to-day practices, therefore affecting their business and, eventually, the national food supply.??Read the full article.
- UK to Launch $10 Billion Clean Energy Development Company - The new UK government announced today the introduction of the Great British Energy Bill, aimed at establishing a new public-owned company to invest, own and manage clean energy projects. Based in Scotland, Great British Energy will be backed by ￡8.3 billion (USD$10.7 billion) from the government over the next five years, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, according to the government. Read the full article.
- Nearly 64% of Brits Support Increased Renewable Investment - Nearly 64% of Britons support further investment in renewables and almost 60% want their MPs to advocate for it. New findings from the Aldersgate Group, RenewableUK and CPRE highlight the need for improved strategic planning and resources to support the UK’s transition to net zero. The report emphasises that the current planning system requires significant changes to handle the scale of new energy infrastructure needed. Challenges include a lack of strategic direction, insufficient resources and inadequate public engagement. Read the full article.
- Buffer Zone Added to Major Solar Park Designs - Plans for a 2,000-acre solar park have been adjusted following concerns raised by residents. Lime Down Solar Park, which would be built across north Wiltshire countryside, has been unpopular with many people in the area who are worried about impact on the landscape and farmland. Developer, Island Green Power, said it had now added a buffer zone of 44 hectares (about 109 acres) between solar panels and sensitive areas after listening to feedback. Will Threlfall, senior project development manager, said he wants to "keep the area as beautiful as possible". Read the full article.
- UK Govt To Launch Flagship Green Energy Plan - Britain's new Labour government on Thursday lays out its flagship green energy infrastructure plan to parliament, as it also presents a multi-billion-pound energy partnership with the royal family's holdings company. The legislation will establish a publicly owned body called Great British Energy, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to spearhead funding in renewable energy projects as the UK weans itself off fossil fuels. His government has allocated ￡8.3 billion ($10 billion) of public money over the next five years as Labour aims to bring down the price of energy by reducing reliance on foreign imports of oil and gas. Read the full article.
- Kraken and SolarEdge Team up for Grid Flexibility
- EDF Inks Solar Supply Agreement with Premier Inn Parent Group
This weeks projects and initiatives that are making a positive impact.
- Balance Power Nets ￡5.1m Debt Facility, Acquires Solar Project - Investment manager Triple Point and energy developer Balance Power have announced the securing of a ￡5.1 million debt facility to boost Balance’s solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments in the UK. This represents a new partnership between the two firms, both of which are significant players in the solar and BESS sectors. The ￡5.1m funding injection will allow Balance to further its BESS and solar PV projects across its 1.87GW BESS (1.839GW) and solar (31MW) pipeline. Part of the funding will be used to acquire the 6MWp Roborough project from Regener8 Power. The Roborough project, located near Plymouth in the South West of England, is ready to begin construction and, once complete, will generate clean power for local energy-intensive businesses. Read the full article.
- UK Firm to Use Tesla Batteries to Build French Storage Project - UK developer Harmony Energy Ltd. has begun construction on France’s biggest battery storage facility, boosting the country’s ability to store green electricity when it’s plentiful for use later when it’s needed. The 100-megawatt Cheviré battery project in the western city of Nantes will use Tesla Inc.’s Megapack product and be able to power 170,000 homes for two hours, the company said. The facility, on the site of an old power station that burnt fossil fuels for more than 30 years, will provide critical balancing services to the grid and enable the shift to renewable energy. Read the full article.
- Councillors Give Backing to Huge New Solar Farm Near Somerset-Wiltshire Border - Councillors have given their backing to a huge new solar farm?near the Somerset-Wiltshire border. Low Carbon UK Solar Investment put forward proposals in November 2023 for a new solar farm on the B3109 Bradford Road near the village of Rode, a few miles north-east of Frome. The solar farm (dubbed ‘Bluebell Wood’) could provide enough power for one-third of all homes in the former Mendip area, or around six per cent of all properties in Somerset. The solar farm will be able to generate nearly 50MW of energy, with a battery energy storage facility being installed on site to store the energy during times of low demand and sell it back to the National Grid at peak times. Read the full article.
- Newly Approved Solar Farms Will be UK’s Biggest, Crushing Nimby Opposition - The Government has ignored the recommendations of its own planning inspectorate and widespread opposition from locals to drive through the UK’s biggest solar farm projects so far. Just days into his tenure as Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband gave the green light to the UK’s two biggest solar farms, declaring that “solar power is crucial to achieving net zero”. “Some of these cases had been held up for months before I arrived in the department. They were put on my desk on Monday and I’ve made a decision in three days,” he said. The new projects, which would power 400,000 homes in total, have been taken as the clearest sign yet that the government intends to drive through dozens of solar and onshore wind farms in the next few years, in many cases against stiff opposition from locals. Read the full article.
- Renewable Connections Gets Green Light for 22.5MW Solar Farm - South Staffordshire Council has consented a 22.5MW solar PV power plant developed by Renewable Connections, a solar and battery developer set up by Armstrong Capital Management. Renewable Connections submitted the application for Deepmore Solar Farm to the council in October 2023. The site will be in Four Ashes, South Staffordshire and construction is set to begin in 2025. It comes with a community benefit fund of over ￡45,000. The ￡2,000/MW fund will be paid to Brewood and Coven Parish Council once the solar farm is energised, with a further ￡2000/year index-linked contribution to Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and ￡1000/year index-linked to a local registered charity. Read the full article.
- Schroders Greencoat Expands UK Solar Portfolio With 110MWp Acquisition - The specialist renewables and energy transition infrastructure manager of Schroders Capital, has announced the acquisition of a UK-based solar portfolio from METLEN Energy & Metals (formerly MYTILINEOS), a multinational industrial and energy company based in Greece.?The transaction, on behalf of one of its solar-focused private asset vehicles, strengthens Schroders Greencoat’s position as the largest manager of operating ground mount solar farms in the UK which now totals approximately 1.9 GWp. The portfolio consists of three operating solar PV assets including Gorse Lane in Lincolnshire, Defford in Worcestershire, and Watnall in Nottinghamshire. Combined, they have a capacity of c.110 MWp, powering the equivalent of approximately 41,300 homes per year.?Read the full article.
- Windsor Castle Gets Solar Panels Under King’s Green Energy Drive - Britain's King Charles, who has spent a lifetime campaigning on environmental issues, has installed solar panels at Windsor Castle and plans to convert the royal family's Bentley cars to run on biofuel, palace officials said. Charles installed solar panels on part of the Windsor Castle estate known as the Lord Chamberlain's Upper Store, replacing the existing lead roof, and the plan will be to add more panels in the future, officials said. Read the full article.
- SSE Renewables Plans 18GW/37GWh Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project in Scotland - SSE Renewables has revealed plans to progress a 1.8GW pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project at Loch Fearna, Scotland, UK, with a consortium led by Gilkes Energy. The Fearna PHES project envisages developing tunnels and a new power station to connect SSE Renewables’ existing reservoir at Loch Quoich with an upper reservoir at Loch Fearna. SSE Renewables, which is the renewable energy development arm of Scotland-headquartered multinational energy company SSE, announced its plans earlier this week (22 July). Read the full article.
- Minister Grants Planning Permission for 23MW Solar Project with 57MW Battery Storage Facility - The minister of state, Matthew Pennycook, has granted planning permission for a 23MW solar development with 57MW of battery storage to be installed in Warwickshire. Set to be operational for 40 years, a revised application was submitted for the solar and storage project by Enso Green Holdings in October 2022. Enso energy is a renewable energy developer that recently co-developed the first solar and storage project to be connected at a transmission level. Pennycook, the minister who approved the plans on behalf of the secretary of state, has been vocal in his support of solar development in the UK. Read the full article.
Highlighting this weeks hottest jobs in the renewable industry.
- Project Coordinator | Crewkerne | Up to ￡40k - View Job
- HSE Officer | Crewkerne | Up to ￡50k - View Job
- Commercial Contracts Manager | Crewkerne | Up to ￡55k - View Job
- Technical Content Writer | ￡35k - View Job
- Python Developer | Oxford | Up to ￡55k - View Job
- Electrical Design Engineer | Remote | Up to ￡70k - View Job
- Deputy Technical Director | Remote | Up to ￡120k - View Job
- Solar O&M Engineer | Cornwall | Up to ￡40k - View Job
- Solar Electrical Installer | Cornwall | Up to ￡38k - View Job
For all the latest roles, updates and help with hiring specialist, cleantech talent check out Zero Global
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