Case Studies Category
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March solar eclipse to test Europe’s electricity system
European transmission system operators (TSOs) say they have been preparing for the 20th March solar eclipse for several months because of concerns over the impact of the eclipse on solar electricity generation. Under a clear morning sky on 20th March 2015, some 35,000 MW of solar energy might gradually fade from Europe's electrical system before being gradually re-injected: all in the space of two hours while Europeans and their offices begin a normal working day. TSOs are warning ...
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Go ahead for Yorkshire and Humberside wind farm
An offshore wind project has been given the go ahead by the Government and is expected to support up to 900 jobs in Yorkshire and Humberside, plus millions of pounds’ worth of investment. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B wind project will include up to 400 wind turbines, around 130km off the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire. With a maximum capacity of 2400MW it will generate enough electricity to power almost two million ...
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UK industry guaranteed central role in Swansea tidal project
Tidal Lagoon Power, the developer of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, has announced that British industrial components and expertise will be at the heart of turbine production, following the appointment of General Electric and Andritz Hydro as preferred bidders to the £1 billion project. The two companies, bidding together for the contract to supply sixteen bidirectional turbines to the world's first tidal lagoon power plant, have committed to a majority of British large turbine components, to ...
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Environmental Audit Committee calls for halt to fracking
Shale fracking should be put on hold in the UK because it is incompatible with our climate change targets and could pose significant localised environmental risks to public health. That is the conclusion of MPs on the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee who will attempt to amend the Government’s Infrastructure Bill in Parliament today. In a new report, the committee warns that only a very small fraction of our shale reserves can be safely burned if we are ...
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First ever Capacity Market auction
Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has officially confirmed the results of the first ever Capacity Market Auction. Through the auction, the Government has procured 49.26GW of capacity at a clearing price of £19.40kW. This will cost a total of £0.96 billion (in 2012 prices), which works out at around £11 for the average household. The auction is part of a strategy to drive new investment and secure energy supplies in the short, ...
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Aldersgate Group defines “Economy that Works”
A coalition of some of the UK's biggest businesses has backed a new macro-economic roadmap for Britain by launching a campaign called "An Economy That Works". In a new report, Aldersgate warns that the UK economy risks becoming detached from the long-term needs of society because a focus on GDP growth alone won't define a path to lasting prosperity. The Group reckons that an economy that works for the UK is one that will be low carbon, ...
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SPS payments delivered in record time
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) says it has already surpassed last year’s performance on the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) by meeting its end of December targets four weeks ahead of schedule. The Agency has already paid out to 96,669 SPS customers, equating to 95% of the total and 91.4% of the estimated fund value. Environment Secretary, Elizabeth Truss, comments: "Over the last four years the Rural Payments Agency has improved beyond ...
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New tranche of Green Deal funding
More people should get help to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through a new release of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF). From 9am on Wednesday 10th December the scheme will open to new applications, with up to £5,600 available to households in England and Wales to help with the cost of installing energy saving measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing, boilers, cavity wall and floor insulation. Up to £30 million in ...
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Met Office: 2014 warmest year on record
Figures from the Met Office show that 2014 is on course to be one of the warmest, if not the warmest, year on record both globally and for the UK. The global mean temperature for January to October is 0.57°C above the long-term (1961-1990) average and recent Met Office research also suggests the shift is likely to be due to human influence on the climate. Responding to the data, Lord Deben, chairman of the Committee on Climate ...
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RPA alerts farmers to SPS fraud
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is urging farmers to be mindful of fraud as the 2014 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments window nears. In the last two years the RPA has been made aware by banks that fraudsters, pretending to be from banks' fraud departments, may try to target farmers. So the Agency is urging farming businesses to remain vigilant and take note of a few simple steps, as follows: Remember that your bank will never request your ...
