Solar will play a key part in the UK Government's new Net Zero Strategy

-

It is being widely reported that solar will form a key part of the Government’s soon-to-be-announced Net Zero Strategy, a comprehensive document laying out a number of environmental targets.


This much-anticipated Net Zero Strategy will be unveiled in tandem with the Energy White Paper, a document that it is hoped will map out a course for the UK’s green energy aims. The document was first hoped to be published in mid-2019, but is yet to arrive, with government statements suggesting a late-2020 release. It is expected that these two documents will offer details on the exact place that solar and storage will play in the UK’s steps towards being Net Zero by 2050.


We will certainly be reading the papers - or at least a summary of the key highlights! - with interest once they are released, with recent reports suggesting that the Government will need to significantly increase its annual solar capacity in order to get anywhere near its Net Zero targets.

This cautious optimism is echoed by Chris Hewett, chief executive of the Solar Trade Association, who stated: “We are happy to see the constructive steps taken by the government on what will undoubtedly be a long road. The announcement of a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy is welcome. What we need to see in that strategy is the same level of ambition for solar and battery storage as there has been for wind. Britain needs to triple its solar capacity in the next decade in order to get on track for net zero.”


In terms of the importance of an increase in solar storage and solar panels, UK officials have been clear that they will play a key role, with energy secretary Alok Sharma stating: “The strategy will set out the government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy, making the most of new growth and employment opportunities across the UK. These will raise ambition as we outline our path to hit our 2050 target. The allocation of subsidies will help accelerate the deployment of onshore wind and solar, both of which will be key to delivering net zero at low cost.”

The next round of allocations is due before the end 2021, complete with the aim of helping to double the capacity of renewable energy funding as compared to the 2019 allocations.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shropshire hospital adds 1,750 solar panels to its roof

-
It was great to see news recently that a Shropshire hospital, in addition to all it already does to help people, is choosing to add further benefit to their community by sourcing their ongoing power requirements from solar energy. The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is the hospital in question, and is planning to transform their energy usage through a series of projects, the first of which will be achieved through the installation of 1,760 solar panels across the hospital site. On a summer’s day, the installation will be capable of generating in the region of 2,300kWh of electricity, with more than 99.9% of this energy going directly toward the hospital’s own electricity system, which in addition to reducing the hospital’s carbon footprint, will also reduce day-to-day running costs. This level of generation is roughly equivalent to supplying 280 family homes with 100% of their electricity for an average day’s consumption. The hospital will send the remaining fraction o
Read more

Two new solar panel factories to open in Algeria

-
Another positive announcement for the global solar industry came with the news that there will soon be two new solar panel factories opening in Algeria, built by Milltech and Zergoun Green Energy and equipped to supply around 260 MWp of solar panels per year. Algeria’s energy commission Cerefe, standing for Commissariat aux énergies renouvelables et à l’efficacité énergétique, announced the new factories in its first annual report, published recently. Cerefe stated that the factory under construction in the industrial zone of Boukherana, which is around 250 miles from Algiers, could be commissioned before the end of the year. It belongs to Milltech and is projected to produce around 100 MWp of solar panels per year.  Milltech say of their solar production process: “Thanks to our ability to produce standard and high voltage modules in monocrystalline and polycrystalline technologies, glass-glass and bifacial modules, as well as half cut cell modules, we believe that our product series,
Read more

Chinese solar panel supplier Amerisolar to open large new factory in Brazil in 2021

-
While many industries have been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, with some even becoming obsolete, solar is certainly one that is continuing to grow in its impact and importance. There are many countries who are leading the way with solar panel production and widespread implementation, but it is China who has been making many of the most large-scale moves, often alongside international partners. This is certainly the case with a new production centre opening in Brazil. The Brazilian arm of Amerisolar, a Chinese maker of solar panels, will open a new factory in early 20201, with the new site it is building being near the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, as reported by Brazilian media outlet Estado de Minas.  The Brazilian newspaper says the factory will employ 100 people directly and help create up to 2,200 new jobs in other companies. The story also says that the factory is meant to produce 30,000 panels a month, with around half of them likely to be used for export
Read more