RENEWABLES: A surge in low-carbon power & solar power breakthrough

Britain had its greenest ever summer this year. Over half of the country’s electricity was produced by low-carbon sources for the first time, according to National Grid. Almost 52% of electricity was generated by either nuclear or renewable forms of power between June 21 and September 22, the astronomical summer. That was up from almost 48% in the same period of 2016 and made for four years of successive increases since summer 2013, when low-carbon generation represented just 35% of the mix.

Solar power breakthrough as first subsidy-free farm opens

The first solar power farm built without government subsidy will open in Bedfordshire today, in what supporters of renewable energy describe as a ‘landmark’ moment. Anesco developed the facility. The Clayhill solar farm, which contains 31,000 ground-mounted panels, is expected to generate sufficient power for 2,500 homes. It can operate without a subsidy partly because of a sharp fall in the cost of solar panels, but also because it’s linked to giant batteries that store power and release it during periods of peak demand.