United Kingdom

Anesco has installed 3.75 MW/3.75 MWh of battery storage at the offices of Philip Dennis Foodservice. The systems are connected directly to the U.K. grid, and will generate revenues of £750,000 over the next 20 months.

The British energy and services company’s acquisition of the C&I solar contractor is the latest among a number of moves it has made into solar and batteries.

The New Climate Economy and OVO Energy, together with the Imperial College London, have published two independent reports pointing at the tremendous financial advantages resulting from clean tech transitions. Carbon pricing schemes could reap global sales of around US$2.8 billion, they say. Wide-spread use of storage, V2G, and electric heating could further save U.K. homes around $258 per year.

The sunny, dry summer has seen solar break several records and PV kept the lights on when a lack of coolant – caused by rising river water temperatures – led to the temporary shuttering of conventional power plants in France and Germany.

Twelve signatories from the energy and consumer goods industry have sent an open letter to the EU and U.K., calling for continued cooperation after Brexit to protect both consumer, and business, interests. The document highlights the importance of tariff-free electricity trading as intermittent renewable energy will require a higher degree of market integration.

RECC survey respondents say they will face major job cuts if solar tariffs are phased out in April, as proposed by the UK government. Reportedly more than 75% of jobs in the UK’s solar sector could be lost. A previous cut in tariffs prompted the loss of 9,000 jobs. Last week the industry sent an open letter to the energy minister opposing the policy.

With the U.K. government apparently preparing to deal another blow to solar by abolishing export payments for small-scale generators, the contribution of the country’s agricultural sector to the industry could be more important than ever.

In consultations in late July this year, the U.K. Government proposed ending both the feed-in tariff (FIT) and export tariff schemes. The policy changes would end financial compensation for prosumers feeding electricity into the grid. In a letter, the industry, including major utilities like Eon and Ovo Energy, voiced their clear rejection of the plan.

Nissan recently supplied batteries to Europe’s largest energy storage system using new and second-life batteries in a commercial building. At the inauguration ceremony, Nissan’s Head of Energy spoke about the car manufacturer’s role in the project, and why EVs are playing an increasingly central role.

A 15 MW solar PV system at Westcott business park is on track to becoming what has been described as the U.K.’s first unsubsidized C&I PV system.