Despite low-carbon sources providing more than half of all UK energy generation for the second time, the Government has been urged to address policy barriers that have “unnecessarily impeded” the development of solar technologies over the last two years. Government data released on Thursday (26 October) revealed that a three-month period between June and August 2017 marked the second time the generation from renewables and nuclear accounted for more than half of the UK’s electricity mix. The Energy Trends data revealed that low-carbon sources set a new record, with 53.4% of the UK’s electricity sourced from technologies such as wind, solar and nuclear. However, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) notes that solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment growth has been declining for the last two years. Following a 50% growth in capacity between January and September 2015, growth fell to 18% between the same months in 2016 and in 2017 deployment has only grown by 6%.
Edie 27th Oct 2017 read more »
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has urged to the government to prioritise the decarbonisation of heat and transport, following the publication of the latest round of official energy statistics. Figures published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy yesterday (26 October), show renewables share of electricity generation was a record 29.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2017, mainly due to increased capacity and good weather conditions. According to the figures, nuclear’s share of generation increased from 21.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 to 23.6 per cent in the same time period this year, because of fewer days being lost to outages. But coal’s share of generation fell from 5.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2016 to 2.1 per cent this year. The figures also show the carbon share of electricity generated by major power producers up 6.8 per cent to a record high of 52.2 per cent, due to increased nuclear and renewables generation. Gas provided 45.5 per cent of electricity generation by major power producers, with nuclear accounting for 29.2 per cent, renewables 23 per cent and coal was just 2.4 per cent. But the latest government figures around solar PV deployment show while it grew by more than 50 per cent between January and September 2015, growth declined to 18 per cent between the same months in 2016 and in 2017 deployment between the same months has only grown by 6 per cent.
Utility Week 27th Oct 2017 read more »
A new generation of see-through solar cell technology could soon be used to harvest the massive energy potential of building and car windows, cell phones as well as other objects with a transparent surface. Scientists at Michigan State University detailed in a paper in the journal Nature Energy how highly transparent solar applications could “nearly meet U.S. electricity demand” and drastically reduce reliance upon fossil fuels.
Newsweek 24th Oct 2017 read more »
