UK rooftop solar installations surge, new battery storage record set
Latest MCS data for small-scale renewables reveal a strong month for solar installations up to 50 kW, double-digit growth for battery energy storage installations and a milestone reached despite a muted month for heat pump installations.
Innova secures PPAs covering 61 MW of UK solar projects
UK developer Innova inks three PPAs with energy trading and services company ElectroRoute. The offtake agreements have been structured to align with existing UK government backed contracts for difference agreements in place for each site.
The Hydrogen Stream: UK researching hydrogen storage nodes
Ofgem has awarded GBP 500,000 ($677,000) to a consortium led by National Gas and Gravitricity to develop a lined shaft system for storing up to 100 tons of green hydrogen underground. The six-month project aims to assess feasibility ahead of a potential demonstration in 2026.
Grid balancing costs up 10% in Great Britain, may hit GBP 8 billion in 2030
Transmission infrastructure buildout essential to curb rising cost of balancing Great Britain’s electricity grid, according to electricity system operator. New report finds thermal constraints were main driver of increased balancing costs, with planned outages in Scotland coinciding with high wind outturn.
UK small-scale solar costs tumble as competition heats up for installers
Figures for 2024-25 financial year reveal double-digit percentage drop in median price for UK small-scale solar. Falling prices were driven by increased supply and technology advancements, according to DESNZ, while installer warns new rooftop opportunities could come with tighter margins.
Novel MPPT technique uses fuzzy logic control with new inputs
Academics have developed a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for PV systems that combines incremental conductance with fuzzy logic control. The inputs used are the sum of conductance and incremental conductance and its rate of change. It had an average efficiency of 97.7%.
UK government mandates solar panels for new homes in England
Future Homes Standard to include solar panel mandate for new homes, UK government confirms. New building regulations are expected to make PV a requirement for almost all homes, with only “rare exceptions” where impact would be negligible, according to UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
Hewer launches pre-assembled unit for heat pump retrofit, installation
The UK-based heating solutions provider has developed a pre-engineered and ready-to-install unit compatible with most of the residential heat pumps available in the market. It can be placed underneath a standard hot water cylinder and transfer heat from the pump via a plate exchanger to the central heating indirectly.
TPG buys Aurora Energy Research
TPG Rise Climate has acquired UK-based Aurora Energy Research, expanding the US investment firm’s climate analytics portfolio. The deal follows reports earlier this year that Aurora’s private equity owner was exploring a GBP 1 billion ($1.35 billion) sale.
Scientists discover new failure mode in LECO-treated TOPCon solar cells
An international research team has observed a significant increase in series resistance in LECO-treated TOPCon solar cells after temperature and bias treatment. The scientists said they now need to conduct further investigations into its impact on cell efficiency, reliability, and bankability.
