UK

British renewable energy developer Lightsource has entered into a £1 billion partnership with asset manager BlackRock Real Assets to create Kingfisher, which will target 1 GW of solar capacity in the U.K. Partnership will also eye storage opportunities.

In the first year energy storage and electric vehicle sectors are included, REA’s annual publication reveals a 2.5% YoY increase in the number of jobs in the renewable energy industry, but also a significant decline in growth from two years previous when it was at nearly 9%. The Association points to negative policy changes as the reason behind the downward trend.

The British solar developer confirms that its proposed 40 MW solar farm in Hampshire, southern England, will be commissioned by early 2018 and built without the need for any form of subsidy or support from government.

The event organized by the Solar Trade Association offers reminder that solar PV has been a transformative energy source in the past few years, and is backed by 86% of the population.

Figures released by U.K. government ahead of the G20 Summit show U.K. was at 8.9% renewable energy penetration at the end of 2016. EU target for 2020 is 15%, and Conservative ministers admit there is still work to do.

Swiss power electronics firm to install its state-of-the-art microgrid solution at the University of Chester’s new Energy Centre, in what will be the first energy management system of its kind in the U.K.

Amid falling costs across the industry, Guernsey-based investment company NextEnergy Solar Fund is planning to develop four solar plants totaling 59.8 MW without the U.K. government’s financial backing.

The British renewables investor is to embark on a joint venture with Australian solar firm Stellata Energy to commit to develop more than AU $200 million on developing PV projects across Australia.

A conference on the next steps for renewable energy in the UK that took place last week in London showcased the frantic energy storage activity that has engulfed the country’s distribution grid operators. The emerging question is when and whether the proposed projects can be built.

In latest Global Market Outlook unveiled today at the Intersolar Europe Conference, SolarPower Europe projects 80 GW of new capacity, beating 2016’s record 76.6 GW figure. European market may grow this year.