News
NSA seeks new members
The National Skills Academy is seeking to boosts its membership.
News
Construction workers blacklist exposed
TradeSkills4u reports that a sinister blacklist has been used in the construction industry. The list was allegedly used by over 40 construction companies to deny jobs to so called trouble makers. The list totalled over 3000 names and those on the list say they often found themselves out of work and unable to get a job for no apparent reason.
News
National Skills Academies create better futures
National Skills Academies, such as the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies, have been described as a ‘key instrument in the government’s agenda to make the UK economy competitive on a global scale on the basis of world-class skills.’
News
Plumb Center launches Green Deal website
Plumb Center has launched a new website that aims to help make the most of Green Deal.
News
Insulation opportunities laid bare by EST
A survey by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has shown the enormous business opportunities which exist for installers fitting insulation in the UK.
Product
KIOTO acquires Solar Insurance certification
After completing a positive audit of the technical and financial aspects and environmental and labour conditions of the KIOTO Photovoltaics factory, Solar Insurance declares that KIOTO Photovoltaic modules fulfill all expectations and acquires certification.
This means that from now on clients of KIOTO Photovoltaics can insure their projects with the option ‘Inherent defect and warranty’ from Solar Insurance, which backs up the warranty of the modules.
The option ‘Inherent defect and warranty’ is an option with the operational Solar PV Insurance, which covers damage caused by weather conditions, fire and theft and compensates production loss.
News
Why the Green ‘Deal’ isn’t done yet
With the countdown to the long awaited launch of the government’s flagship Green Deal scheme underway, Richard Weetman from utility metering specialist Orsis (UK) Ltd outlines why the hotly debated initiative could leave consumers and businesses out in the cold.
News
Welsh farmers supported by HSBC
A Carmarthenshire livestock farmer has installed a wind turbine on his 100 acre farm to diversify income and reduce costs after securing funding from HSBC’s Wales Agriculture team.
Opinion
Backwards and forwards
2012 has been an action-packed year, especially for PV. We had the ups and downs of Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), which started in late 2011. Although confidence took several knocks, things now appear to be stabilising and many in the industry think that as well as the inevitable slow-down and squeezed margins, the overall effect also has some positive aspects. For example, some of the companies who entered the market for quick profits, but with little technical knowledge or experience of the sector, have now departed as rapidly as they arrived, leaving space for those who are in it for the long haul to refocus on building an industry committed to quality and customer service.
Opinion
Winds of change
Evance’s Kevin Parslow
Following utility price increase announcements, Evance’s Kevin Parslow offers an alternative to energy cost uncertainty. It’s now common sense home owners, farmers and schools to invest in a small wind turbine, locking in energy costs for 20 years
Opinion
Where do we go from here?
Mariana Hall, vice-president of Phono Solar Europe, asks what the future looks like for PV and renewable energy
Opinion
Q & A
Matthieu Giraudon is European renewables product manager at Fernox
REI: What have you got planned for 2013?
MG: To change a cultural aspect in theUKwith regard to the perception of renewable energy technologies. There is a tendency for them to be seen as unreliable in terms of performance outputs, and not as appropriate to a colder, less sunny country like theUK. We know that this perception is actually inaccurate and that correctly sized and properly installed, solar thermal systems or heat pumps work efficiently and are trouble free. The challenge is to get this message across to householders and installers.
Opinion
Talking point
The first is a regular series, Liz MacFarlane, Zenex and Q-Gen offers her perspective on the industry
Opinion
Two minutes with…
What do you do? We are a subsidiary of Fronius International which has been designing and manufacturing PV inverters in Austria for the last 20 years.
News
Domestic RHI consultation
The domestic RHI aims to support households in their movement away from fossil fuels for heating and to contribute to theUK’s target on renewable energy deployment by 2020. The government recognises the demand within the renewable heating industry for this incentive and, by introducing an incentive for domestic consumers, hopes to drive uptake of renewable heat technologies as well as support supply chain development. They also aim to improve the efficiency and performance of renewable heat technologies through efficient metering. The consultation outlined a number of areas that could influence, or be beneficial to, MCS installers.
News
Training partnership continues to expand
Reid Kerr College is to offer Green Deal Advisor training in partnership with BPEC
BPEC and Reid Kerr College is building on its training partnership by adding Green Deal Advisor courses to its portfolio of renewable technology training courses.
News
Worcester Bosch welcomes Green Deal boiler decision
Neil Schofield, Worcester, Bosch Group
The DECC decision to bring forward the Green Deal cashback scheme for boiler replacements to the second week in January has been welcomed by domestic heating manufacturers Worcester, Bosch Group.
News
GIB appoints chief risk officer
Peter Knott, GIB chief risk officer
The UK Green Investment Bank has announced the appointment of Peter Knott as chief executive officer.
News
Ofgem amends RHI regulations for GSHPs
Rob Gardiner, managing director of Econic
Ofgem has amended Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) regulations to help owners of Ground Source Heating and Cooling (GSHC) systems take part in the scheme.
News
REI signs up to ban ‘Deal on the Day’ sales technique
Renewable Energy Installer has joined a growing list of supporters in a bid to outlaw aggressive sales techniques from doorstop renewable product salesmen.
News
Industry concern at ‘dash for gas’
Two of the renewable industry’s leading trade bodies have unanimously condemned the government’s gas strategy published earlier this week.
News
HETAS launches new website
HETAS has launched a brand new website, which provides a wealth of information on solid fuel and biomass heating for installers, manufacturers, fuel suppliers, chimney sweeps, specifiers, and consumers.
News
Eco2Solar scoop national accolade at Constructing Excellence Awards
Eco2Solar has been named National SME Construction Company of the year at The National Constructing Excellence Awards 2012.
News
Gas fears realised in Autumn Statement
The government has given the green light to 26GW of new gas generating capacity to be build by 2030.