The clean energy revolution isn’t just a techno-fix – it’s about capturing hearts and minds. Smart site selection for new technologies is crucial. Too often, projects have been parachuted into communities without enough consideration, leading to poor outcomes for both project operators and residents. The climate and environmental crises demand innovations in our everyday infrastructures. If these changes are to be accepted and adopted en masse, we must find the right fit between communities and infrastructure. Here, we share what we’ve learnt so far, in the hope other regional communities might benefit.

Renew Economy 24th June 2022 read more »

THE COUNCIL has received word of plans to install a solar power system on the roof of Energus in Lillyhall. Allerdale Council has received prior notification of plans to install a roof mounted solar panel system at Energus in the Lillyhall Industrial Estate. The system would be made up of 658 Canadian Solar 380 watt panels. Council has received prior notification to determine whether planning permission will be required before carrying out the work.

Carlisle News & Star 22nd June 2022 read more »

A team of engineers at Stanford University have developed a solar cell that can generate some electricity at night. The research comes at a moment when the number of solar jobs and residential installations are rising. While standard solar panels can provide electricity during the day, this device can serve as a “continuous renewable power source for both day- and nighttime,” according to the study published this week in the journal Applied Physics Letters. The device incorporates a thermoelectric generator, which can pull electricity from the small difference in temperature between the ambient air and the solar cell itself.

NPR 7th June 2022 read more »

Community-owned wind farm, Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) in the Outer Hebrides, has been listed in the Top 100 social enterprise businesses in the UK. The SE100 Index is an annual listing of the UK’s top 100 social enterprises, run by NatWest (owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group) and Pioneers Post every year to “name, celebrate and learn from the UK’s 100 most impressive social enterprises”. Judges review social enterprise businesses on a range of criteria including business sustainability, innovation and social impact. PST operates the UK’s biggest community-owned wind farm, with three 3MW turbines on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

TFN 22nd June 2022 read more »

Installations and investments in the global offshore wind industry are set to surge this decade as nations seek to transition to cleaner sources of energy, with total capital expenditure projected to more than double from $46 billion in 2021 to $102 billion in 2030, Rystad Energy research shows. Driving this growth is a significant uptick in capacity installations in Europe, solidifying the region’s place as the global leader in the offshore wind space. Capital expenditure in Europe in 2030 is forecast to approach $53 billion, up from $15 billion last year. The Americas have been slow to enter the offshore wind market, but that looks set to change from this year onwards. The region is projected to spend $3.3 billion this year, up from $700 million last year, and rise further to almost $15 billion by 2030.

Rystad Energy 21st June 2022 read more »

Siemens Gamesa has been awarded the firm order for the delivery of 60 units of its SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine at the Moray West offshore wind power project. The wind turbines will have a capacity of 14.7 MW each and utilize the PowerBoost feature. A service agreement is included in the order for the 882 MW-project located in Scotland’s Moray Firth. The project will feature strong content from the UK, with all 180 Siemens Gamesa B108 IntegralBlades to be produced at the company’s offshore blade factory in Hull, England. A rapid deployment timeline targets installation of the first machines in 2024, with first power being expected to be produced in 2024.

NS Energy 23rd June 2022 read more »

Green Alliance: UK’s biofuel consumption making global food crisis worse. The land used to grow biofuels for road transport in the UK could be used to grow crops that would feed 3.5 million people, with biofuel imports having a detrimental impact on fuel and food prices as well as the climate.

Edie 23rd June 2022 read more »

Boris Johnson pumps the brakes on drive for green fuel. Prime Minister calls for reduction in use of biofuel, despite it being a key plank of his government’s net zero ambitions. Boris Johnson will relax the push for British motorists to use green fuel, amid concerns that the drive could contribute to the cost of living crisis. The Prime Minister wants to reduce the amount of biofuel used in the UK, despite it being a key plank of his government’s net zero ambitions. The production of biofuel uses wheat and maize. The Prime Minister wants the land to instead be used for producing more food, in bid to combat soaring prices.

Telegraph 23rd June 2022 read more »

Boris Johnson will attempt to ease the cost of living crisis by relaxing the pressure on motorists to use green fuel, it was claimed last night. The prime minister wants to reduce the amount of biofuel being used, despite it being a key part of the UK’s drive towards net zero. The production of biofuel such as E10 petrol uses wheat and maize. The prime minister wants the land to be used to produce more food in an attempt to combat soaring prices.

Times 24th June 2022 read more »

Equinor is spearheading a bid for up to £8.4m of UK Government funding for its proposed HSH Saltend hydrogen production project in Hull. The energy major announced the bid, which is being made through the Government’s Net-Zero Hydrogen Fund, this morning (22 June). The £240m fund is operated by UKRI and was launched in a bid to help accelerate the commercial development of low-carbon hydrogen production projects in the UK this decade. The UK Government recently updated its 2030 ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen production target from 5GW to 10GW in the Energy Security Strategy. Plans for the project were first submitted through the Government’s Cluster Sequencing Process in January 2021. At that point, Equinor stated that it is intending to develop 600MW of hydrogen production capacity in the first instance. It has now stated that an expansion, bringing total production capacity to 1.2GW, could be possible in the longer term. The first 600MW could come online by 2028, Equinor stated in submitting its bid to the Net-Zero Hydrogen Fund. This production will be for blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is produced using natural gas, with process emissions captured using man-made technologies. This approach is in its relative infancy in the UK at present, but the UK Government is aiming for up to 5GW of blue hydrogen generation capacity to come online this decade. In time, the H2H Saltend project could also be expanded to include green hydrogen generation. Green hydrogen is produced by running water through electrolysers powered by renewable electricity.

Edie 22nd June 2022 read more »

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has led to a worsening of the international gas crisis that started in autumn 2021, heightening the imperative to get off gas. The UK has seen a rise in the cost-of-living that has impacted every household, with the most-vulnerable disproportionately affected. Analysts predict that wholesale prices will remain above 2021 levels until at least 2030.1 Clean, electric heat and energy efficiency measures will have a key role to play in reducing the exposure of families to these price shocks now and in the long run. Around the world, several countries are turning to clean heat as part of the solution to counter the gas crisis. This means heat pump manufacturing and installation skills are becoming an asset of increasing value, representing a market and economic opportunity. This report profiles how countries are turning to low carbon electric heat pumps to boost energy security and help households shift away from gas, drawing key lessons and recommendations that could be applied here in the UK.

E3G 22nd June 2022 read more »

Last August, wind farms across the Midwest stopped producing electricity almost entirely for 12 straight hours. The turbines — capable of generating almost 30,000 megawatts — produced only 1 percent of the electricity needed to keep the lights on across the sprawling territory of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. A day later, it happened again, for 10 straight hours. grid operator MISO continues to mull solutions as states, utilities and large energy users seek to meet energy demand while slashing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study released in December found that so-called extreme weather events haven’t limited the availability of wind and solar resources as much as “milder” conditions that historically weren’t a concern. Experts say there’s a wide menu of possible solutions available, many of them cost-effective and already being deployed widely. For starters, MISO will be able to count on almost 80 gigawatts of utility scale solar generation that is now in the “queue” to connect to the grid, as well as 13.4 GW of storage and another 14 GW of hybrid solar-plus-storage projects.

E&E News 21st June 2022 read more »

A new report by the Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence has identified the 22 countries that are most ready to become major players in the nascent renewable energy technology. With plans for extensive floating wind farms already in motion and a high level of relevant expertise, the UK came out on top of the list, followed by Japan and France. Published yesterday (20 June) to coincide with the Global Offshore Wind 2022 event in Manchester, the report by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult centre identified a total of 54 territories as potential floating wind markets. More than 10GW of floating wind farm capacity is on track to be commissioned by 2030, according to the report, bolstered by increasing policy support. The momentum “must accelerate” to help meet clean energy goals however, the authors said, with the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) calling for 2,000GW of offshore wind capacity to be installed by 2050 as part of its ‘1.5°C Scenario’.

Professional Engineering 21st June 2022 read more »

The boom in offshore wind projects over the past 12 months has been “nothing short of staggering”, according to analysts who have said planned developments put global capacity on track to double what was in the pipeline a year ago. This time last year, the capacity of offshore wind projects at every stage of development – operational, under construction, consented or planned – stood at 429 gigawatts (GW). That has now risen to 846GW in the developmental pipeline today, with surging Chinese investment driving the biggest rises in planned capacity. According to Renewable UK which carried out the analysis, China has the biggest offshore wind project pipeline at 98GW, the UK is in second place at 91GW, up from 55GW a year ago, and the USA is third with 80GW.

Independent 22nd June 2022 read more »

The UK energy minister has told the industry that government will do its bit to help accelerate the deployment of offshore wind. During the second and final day of the Global Offshore Wind 2022 conference, Greg Hands said measures will be taken to reduce delays in the consenting process and build up a strong supply chain. With offshore wind having overcome the cost reduction challenge, the onus is now on developers to speed up the rollout of projects.

Energy Voice 22nd June 2022 read more »