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Germany Expresses Concern If The European Commission Imposes Tariff On China

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Danielle Biggs

We have recently commented about the issues between China and the European Union over the probable imposing of import tariffs on solar panel manufacturers in China-a decision is expected in early June 2013. Well, a senior figure in Germany’s government has recently expressed concern if this were the decision taken.

solra panel manufacturers in China will know shortly if anti-dumping tariffs are to be impossed on them

A decision on whether to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panel manufacturers is due in June 2013
(image credit: stantontcady)

Philipp Rosler, who is the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology in Germany as well as the Vice Chancellor of Germany, has expressed an opinion that it would be a mistake if the European Commission decided to introduce punitive import duties on Chinese manufactured solar panels. Such an action could lead to China deciding to retaliate and the development of an unwanted trade dispute.

He has made it clear that he wants the commission to do all that it can to avoid any trade dispute and resolve the solar trade dispute by discussions and negotiating rather than making any threats.

Of course, you will no doubt be aware that Germany are the country within the EU that have the biggest market for solar power and it was one of their solar manufacturers called SolarWorld that raised a complaint about Chinese solar manufacturers being involved in the dumping of solar panels into the EU.

It is expected that the European Commission will introduce a temporary anti-dumping tariff averaging around 47% when they announce their decision early in June. A final decision would be announced by the European Commission in December 2013 that would stand for 5 years.

The solar market between China and Europe is huge with China exporting 21 billion euros of solar goods their in 2011.

It will be interesting to see if such comments have any bearing on the decision that many people within the solar panel industry are awaiting with some concern. Equally, there are many within the industry that are no doubt in favour of an anti-dumping tariff being imposed upon China.

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Changes To Solar Park Refused By Council

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Danielle Biggs

In recent months we have reported about numerous solar panel farms being installed around the country but today we have heard that a council has declined to give retrospective panning approval to a number of alterations that were made to a solar panel farm during its construction.

solar parks are on the increase in the UK

Solar farms are becoming a more familiar site in the UK
(image credit: mcmees24)

This decision has been made by planning officials from South Northamptonshire Council who have not been prepared to agree to alterations that have been made to a solar panel farm that was nearing completion earlier in the year. This is a large development producing 5MW.

The solar park is located at Shacks Barn Farm close to Silverstone in Northamptonshire and was being constructed by a German company by the name of Conecon. The company had to stop work on the £6 million scheme around the end of March 2013 as the owners, who are called Moser Baer, needed to apply once again for planning approval.
Moser Baer bought the site from Hive Energy around August 2012 that was about the time that planning consent was obtained. Planning approval had been granted based upon information provided by Hive Energy.

However, during the building of the solar park, Moser Baer and the contractor made a few changes to the layout of the scheme. Moser Baer informed the council of the changes that they were making at the same time as the building work was taking place. This was done with a view to meeting the deadline date of 31st March 2013 in order to obtain 2 Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) per MWh as opposed to the reduced rate of 1.6 ROCs per MWh.

This refusal was made on the 11th April 2013 by the Council’s Development Control Committee despite the planning officer from the council recommending that retrospective approval be given to the amended scheme. This decision was made on the basis of “the visual impact due to the prominent and publicly visible location set within a rolling landscape, and the inability of landscaping to soften the appearance. The proposal would therefore be harmful to the character and visual amenities of the area and wider countryside and that this would outweigh the benefits of Renewable Energy Production. “

The alterations included an increase in the number of rows of solar panels with no spaces between the rows, cabinets and support structures were located elsewhere on the site, a number of panels in the eastern corner of the site were removed, site access was changed to the southwest corner and security fencing was realigned.

We wait to hear what will happen next.

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Logistics Company Significantly Increases Spend On Solar Panels

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Peter Noble

We continue to report on small, medium and large solar panel projects as both homeowners and business operators seek to play their part in helping the UK strive to achieve its renewable energy and carbon emission targets along with the rest of Europe and, indeed, the world.

A large solar panel project has been completed at Yearsley Logistics with an additional £1 million having been spent on solar panels. These latest installations have seen the frozen logistics company’s expenditure on renewable energy rise to a commendable £5 million.

Solar panel installations are continuing to expand in the UK

Solar panel projects like this one continue to mushroom in the UK
(image credit: Dave Dugdale)

The solar panel installations have been completed at three more of their depots. The three locations are at Holmewood, Heywood and Hams Hall. The company have had installed a further 3,120 solar panels at these three sites with them being capable of producing 1,252,500 kilowatt hours every year.

These solar panels will play a significant part in the company’s energy use improving by 2015 by as much as 8% and, of course, a reduction in carbon emissions will be seen.

Yearsley Logistics now has solar panels installed at eight of its thirteen sites so these panels, as has been seen at a number of other businesses, will make a significant difference in the reliance the company has historically placed upon using electricity from the national grid. The company are also looking into making use of other forms of renewable energy such as power from the wind.

It was only last month that the company started to use urban trailers as well as standard trailers on a trial basis that, if successful, will be rolled out to other sites. Urban trailers are believed to be friendlier to the environment.

The company are supportive of renewable energy schemes as, during the last twelve months, it has had LED lights installed in their cold storage units that are more energy efficient.

We will continue to provide updates.

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Approval Sought For 960 Solar Panel Farm In Somerset

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Danielle Biggs

The number of solar panel farms continues to grow here in the UK as we strive to achieve the country’s carbon emission reduction targets.

Permission has been sought by Roger Reed, who is a developer, for the installation of 960 solar panels to be situated on agricultural land by Long Sutton that is a village near Langport in Somerset. A decision is awaited from South Somerset District Council for the proposed solar panel farm off Langport Road.

solar panel farms are being constructed in various parts of the UK

Solar panel farms continue to grow in popularity
(image credit: mcmees24)

The site will cover an area of 3,199 square metres and is situated just north of farm buildings at Hardings Barn Farm in Knole. Each of the monocrystalline solar panels will have 250W capacity.

It is proposed that the solar panels will be ground mounted using fixed frames and it is claimed in a statement by Clive Miller and Associates Ltd, planning consultants, that they will not have a major impact on the surrounding area and will appear different to similar developments in the countryside. It is felt that the proposed solar panel installation is important in helping South Somerset generate 20% of its heat and electricity by 2015 from renewable supplies.

The solar panels would be positioned on a south-facing slope in such a way to maximise their use of sunlight. There will be eight rows of 120 solar panels and there will be seven metres between each of the rows.

The planning application requests that the panels be erected for a period of 25 years at which point they will be removed so that the land can be used for agricultural purposes once again.

Apparently, this particular site is just in excess of three miles from a proposed solar panel farm site that had its application declined.

As always, we shall endeavour to continue to keep you updated both on this application and others in the future.

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Where are solar panel installations lowest in this country?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Jeanette Plant

Where would you expect to see the lowest level of solar panel installations in the United Kingdom in relation to the number of domestic properties? Your initial reaction is probably somewhere that they do not receive as much sunshine such as in certain parts of Scotland.

Well, you would be wrong because it is in many London boroughs that the level of solar panel installations are at the lowest – yes, the capital city of England! Would London have been anywhere near the top of your list of possibilities?

WSP Group, that is a management consultancy, property and construction engineering services business, has produced a league table that reveals these interesting figures. Data produced by the government in April 2013 shows that 362,000 houses in the UK have had solar panels put on their properties since April 2010 – that means around one home in about seventy now has solar panels fitted.

Many London boroughs are near the bottom of a league table for the number of solar panels fitted to homes on a pro-rata basis

The River Thames at Westminster
(image credit: wallygrom)

The ten places at the bottom of this table are all filled by local authorities in London boroughs. Taking up bottom spot is Westminster with only one in 2,500 homes having had solar panels installed. Following them are Tower Hamlets and the City of London as they only have one solar panel installation for every 1,250 homes.

So, that is the bottom end of the league table but where are the top performing local authorities situated?

Well, at the very top, in number one spot is Mid Devon with an impressive one in twelve homes having had solar panels installed. Immediately below them are Wrexham and South Hams.

Interestingly, of the top 25 local authorities, 12 of them are situated in the South West making that region the largest installer of solar panels on a proportionate basis. Is this surprising, when you consider that they receive more sunshine than elsewhere in the UK?

Right at the beginning we mentioned Scotland. Well, Dumfries and Galloway had 246 out of 10,000 homes with solar panels fitted putting it in 55th place in the league table out of a total of 760 and this despite having low sunshine levels.

Across the UK, the league table revealed that around 1.5% of homes had had solar panels fitted.

We have a long, long way to go.

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Many In Solar Panel Sector Unhappy With European Commission

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Danielle Biggs

There are many people within the solar panel industry that are unhappy with the decision by the European Commission to introduce duties that average 47 per cent on the import of solar panels from China. It is felt by some that the industry may well be damaged as a result of such a decision that may have far reaching consequences.

It is likely that the recent imposition of import duties on solar panel imports from China will impact on the UK consumer

Will the imposition of import duties on China impact on solar panel installations in the UK?
(image credit: tillwe)

The decision taken within the European Commission has apparently been made to protect solar panel manufacturers in Europe but it is felt by some that one of the outcomes could be an increase in the prices of solar panels that will prove detrimental to both the consumer and many within the industry.

Needless to say, the decision that has been supported by Karel De Gucht who is the European Commissioner for Trade, has also been heavily criticised by China as it will no doubt cause a number of issues for manufacturers in their country.

Paul Barwell, who is the CEO of the Solar Trade Association, commented: “These duties, if imposed, will damage the UK solar market, particularly the large scale ground-mount sector. It seems absurd that Commissioner De Gucht is supporting these proposals, when the duties will actually result in a net reduction in EU solar jobs, restrict the growth of the solar market, and damage Europe’s chances of meeting its 2020 renewable targets.”

Apparently, Orta Solar Ltd that are located near Andover in the south of the UK are seriously considering putting on hold an investment amounting to £180 million in the industry. Its Managing Director, Nick Pascoe, expressed his disappointment at the news as they invest huge sums of money well in advance in the sector and are concerned about the viability of undertaking commercial solar farm investment towards the later part of 2013 and into the future.

We will continue to keep you up to date with any developments.

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The Church of England And The Environment

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jeanette Plant

Can you imagine the task facing the Church of England in reducing carbon emissions and becoming more energy efficient when they have to deal with in excess of 16,000 properties? It is not perhaps made any easier by the fact that each of these buildings is managed separately.

will solar panels be seen more often on church roofs?

Are we going to see an increasing number of churches with solar panels on their roofs?
(image credit: anemoneprojectors (through the backlog))

Furthermore, many of these buildings were built hundreds of years ago so, if you have sat in one on a cold winter’s Sunday morning, they are not that easy to keep warm and must cost a huge amount to do so. They are hardly blessed with cavity wall insulation and double-glazing.

Well, a gentleman by the name of David Shreeve, has the task of making them more environmentally friendly. He is the environmental adviser to the Church of England. The church has a target of achieving a 42 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 and a huge 80 per cent saving by 2050.

If these targets were achieved the Church of England would see a significant drop in their electricity bills and those savings could be diverted elsewhere towards more worthy causes.

David Shreeve started work in respect of the above once the church had agreed to the targets back in 2005. One of the difficulties, no doubt, is that so many of the buildings are of a varying size and structure. A little different to dealing with a few thousand modern properties on housing estates that are of a similar size.

Many of the church’s properties that are situated in city centres are used throughout the day and even have their lights on all the time whereas a rural village church may only be used for a couple of hours each week. Their energy consumption will be vastly different.

There is no doubt that the Church of England is a major user of electricity.

In recent years the church has encouraged the use of energy efficient light bulbs and looked at measures to reduce draughts. St George the Martyr Church in Newbury has even had 129 solar panels installed. People visiting the church are able to monitor how much electricity is being saved. They have also had secondary double-glazing fitted and the main ceiling has had insulation put in. During the first year of installation of the solar panels an income of £8,000 was generated as a result.

Are we going to see an increasing number of churches with solar panels on their roofs to help them achieve their carbon emission targets?

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Professional Rugby Club Is Having Solar Panels Installed

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Jeanette Plant

There would appear to be an increasing interest from sports facilities wishing to look at having solar panels installed. It was only a few days ago that we wrote about Henwick Worthy Sports Field in Berkshire installing them.

Northampton Saints rugby club are to install solar panels

Northampton Saints vs Saracens
(image credit: bobaliciouslondon)

Well, the latest sports club that we have heard about going down the solar panel route is Northampton Saints Rugby Club based at Franklin’s Gardens, Weedon Road, Northampton. They are currently in fourth place in the Aviva Premiership.

They are having 200 solar panels installed at the stadium that is a venue that will undoubtedly use a considerable amount of electricity during the season. The panels are being located on the Burrda Sport Stand that faces south. An advantage this has is that the solar panels will be situated at a high level that is not subject to a huge amount of shade thus aiding their efficiency.

Another benefit is the impact that they will have on the environment from a positive perspective as they will reduce the rugby club’s carbon footprint. This is another environmental benefit at the club as they already use water from a nearby lake on the grass.

The solar panels are being fitted by SolarTech who are based in Buckingham. They will provide power for the rugby club’s offices, the training ground and the stadium itself with any surplus electricity going to the National Grid.

This installation has received the support of Friends of the Earth from both a financial perspective and an environmental one. They felt that it would be good to see an increasing number of sports clubs doing the same. In fact, solar panels have been installed at Saracens Allianz Park ground who currently sit on top of the Aviva Premiership as well as at Barnsley Football Club in Yorkshire.

It would be interesting to hear of any similar developments taking place.

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Unease From Fire Service Over Potential Shocks From Solar Panels

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Danielle Biggs

When attending an incident, quite rightly, fire fighters need to consider all eventualities and they carry out a thorough assessment of potential risks and hazards at the scene.

fire fighters are being asked to take care when attending incidents with solar panels on site

Fire fighters are being asked to be vigilant when attending incidents where solar panels are located
(image credit: 28704869)

It has come to light that senior management at Devon and Somerset fire service have instructed their fire fighters to be vigilant when it comes to attending the scene of the likes of a fire where there are solar panels on site as the panels could still be live even though they may have been isolated. This could result in fire fighters receiving electric shocks unless they are particularly careful.

Another concern was that solar panels that tend to be located on the roofs of both residential and commercial buildings could fall on fire fighters whilst attending and working at the scene of an incident.

A few days ago the local fire service were called to a large fire at the Teign Valley Golf Club and Hotel at which there were thirty fire fighters present. Apparently, as there was a live electricity supply generated by the solar panels, the fire fighters were unable to gain access to the building.

The incident commander is responsible for making a thorough risk assessment at every incident the fire service attend to make sure that everything is taken into account to make sure that the incident is resolved in a safe manner.

Martin Cotterell from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) made it clear that they are working closely with fire services in respect of possible hazards involving the likes of solar panels acknowledging that there were challenges when panels were present at fires. He did point out that tests had been carried out in Germany and America that involved panels being sprayed with water and there were no safety issues. Obviously each incident needs to be treated differently.

We will keep you updated if there are any further developments.

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Local Authority Wants To Further Increase Solar Panel Installations

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Peter Noble

You may be interested to learn that Wrexham local authority are the front-runner amongst their contemporaries as far as the installation of solar panels on council properties is concerned. They have recently completed the installation of 30,000 solar panels on 3,000 council houses at a cost of £60 million.

Wrexham local authority support the installation of solar panel on council homes

Wrexham Council are at the forefront of installing solar panels on council homes
(image credit: National Assembly For Wales / Cynulliad Cymru)

Monies were borrowed by the council towards funding the project. Over the next few years, the loans will be repaid from income generated through the feed in tariff scheme.

However, they do not want to stop at that point. They wish to install solar panels on another 2,000 homes plus they also wish to provide 70 schools with solar panelling. In this respect, the council intend to have discussions with Scottish Power to see if they are interested in buying any extra electricity that is not required by the properties.

They also need to have discussions about how such a project can be funded as it would involve another significant outlay with a meeting due to take place shortly. It will be interesting to hear how the government will react to requests for additional incentives to make the project that bit more appealing.

It is estimated that, in 2012, tenants in local authority housing made significant savings on their electricity bills – a total of about £900,000. Breaking this figure down a little, dependant upon how big each roof is, the tenants’ lifestyle and the quantity of panels installed, savings of anything between £100 to £300 were made for each household over a twelve-month period. Furthermore, around 3,000 tonnes of C02 emissions are estimated to have been removed from the environment each year.

Councillor Malcolm King pointed out that the council needed to make savings and estimated that the budget would need to be reduced by £34 million over the next 5 years. At the present time, there is only one previously built school that is fitted with solar panelling although a number of new schools that have been constructed have had them installed. The council wishes to look at the possibility of doing the same with many other existing schools.

Wrexham local authority is to be commended for their “green” efforts.

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