Markets & Trends

Spending commitments outlined by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves include investment in planning departments, more funds for heat pump grants, confirmation of funding for commercial hydrogen projects, and more cash for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners announces two long-term agreements covering 100% of solar power generation at Cleve Hill Solar Park. British supermarket retailer Tesco has signed a 15-year agreement covering 65% of generation and Shell will manage remaining capacity under 10-year route-to-market deal.

Cottam Solar Project secures approval through national infrastructure consent process. The 600 MW solar and storage development is the fourth major solar project to secure UK government approval in a three-month period.

More than 4,500 certified heat pump installations were recorded in the United Kingdom in July 2024, while battery storage installations continue to significantly outperform previous years. Subsidy schemes that slash the cost of installing a heat pump are a key growth driver, according to the industry.

As a new phase of government-backed flexibility tariff trials gets underway in the United Kingdom, LCP delta analyst Shaz Shamim tells pv magazine how phase-one research revealed consumers can be convinced to hand over control when cost savings are combined with better understanding.

Colorado Springs solar cell plant halted as Swiss-German PV manufacturer announces company restructuring plans. Planned capacity expansion at Arizona module production plant also put on hold. Existing cell production site in Thalheim, Germany, to remain part of Meyer Burger operations.

Ofgem has approved costs on the largest investment in British transmission infrastructure on record. The subsea cable connecting northeastern Scotland and northeastern England is expected to ease network congestion and facilitate the rollout of renewables.

Half year data from UK certification body MCS reveal a step change in the number of heat pump installations in 2024, as well as a record breaking first six months for battery storage installations. At the current rate, the annual heat pump installation record will be broken by the end of 2024

The UK government has increased the budget for its sixth Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction by half. Extra allocation includes millions of pounds for technologies such as solar and onshore wind, but offshore wind enjoys the lion’s share of the budget.

Signs of a UK government that’s prepared to back solar have emerged within a fortnight of the Labour Party securing victory in the General Election. The government has already signed off on more than 1 GW of new solar capacity.