United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has announced £9.5 million (around US$12 million) in funding for the creation of a new research consortium and 12 projects to speed the uptake of smart energy systems.

The UK energy technology company said the new contract will provide 120 MW of solar generation through its Limejump Virtual Power Platform. The energy bought from NextEnergy Solar Fund will then be traded on the national grid.

A project backed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program says it has developed a self-cleaning coating for modules which is also anti reflective and weather resistant. The project – SolarSharc – expects to launch the product next year.

Solar PV, battery storage and artificial intelligence systems are at the core of a new utility model presented yesterday in London. pv magazine attended the launch event.

The latest acquisition means the solar energy investment company has expanded its portfolio to 869 MW across 54 installations. The company says the increased diversification of its portfolio will improve operational efficiencies.

Power market regulator favors a flat rate fee for electricity consumers to fund the cost of making the U.K. grid fit for the energy transition. Solar lobbyists say that will unfairly penalize households and businesses who have invested in on-site generation.

Having closed a green electricity supply deal, changing its stadium lighting to LED and recycling 80% of matchday waste to power its turf, the football club has now unveiled the first 2 MW stage of a 3 MW storage system to slash peak load at the Emirates Stadium.

Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Committee for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has released a comment indicating the discontent with which she views government plans to scrap export tariffs on 31 March 2019. The scheme remunerates small-scale generators, and its abolishment has been likened to theft and sparked a feud between the industry and politics. Last week, U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry also said that forcing generators to export for free would be “wrong”.

Four electricity suppliers have been named by Ofgem for missing payment deadlines for penalties prompted by their failure to meet renewable energy buying obligations. A separate fund for small-scale generators, paid for by energy suppliers, also has a financial shortfall.

Two new reports from BloombergNEF recommend that the two northern European countries should implement policies to accelerate the adoption of energy storage and smart electric vehicle charging, while also improving demand response and interconnection to Nordic hydropower reservoirs. All of these actions are expected to further reduce fossil fuel dependence and add flexibility to their respective energy markets.