West Sussex County Council has launched its second solar farm which features battery storage technology. The Westhampnett solar project near Chichester is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 2,400 homes a year. The battery is used to store surplus electricity which can be released to the grid when consumer demand is high. It follows the launch of the Tangmere solar farm in 2015, which already produces power for 1,500 homes a year. The council has also installed solar panels on its buildings, including offices, schools and fire stations. Islington Council will be showing how it used CHP and heat recapture techologies to make a different to the community at Energy Live Expo on 31st October, with Energy Minister Claire Perry headlining the event.
Energy Live News 23rd Oct 2018 read more »
United Utilities is building a floating solar farm on the surface of Langthwaite Reservoir, off Little Fell Lane. The power generated will be used to run the neighbouring Lancaster water treatment works which supplies water to 152,000 people across Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham.
Lancaster Guardian 23rd Oct 2018 read more »
More than one in three businesses now produce at least some of their own electricity. According to a report from The Economist, businesses in the retail sector are well ahead of the trend, with almost 40% generating their own energy. The Economist survey of 450 senior executives from manufacturing, transport, hospitality and retail companies, looked at their company’s energy strategies. It was found that, for those organisations producing their own energy, the most popular way of doing so is through solar power, with six in ten businesses making use of it. This makes sense as the rooftops of hotels, shops and office buildings can easily house solar panels, and make use of unused space. Wind power is also a popular method, used by just over a quarter of self-generators. However, adoption is a little tricker as there has to be enough wind near the office’s location to make installation viable.
Alphr 23rd Oct 2018 read more »