PV

An innovative new community centre, dubbed the ‘Ecohub’ has been officially opened in Galingay, replacing the village’s old community centre.

With the April 1 2012 deadline upon us, solar power installations in the UK must now abide by the EPC requirements to access the full solar feed-in tariff rates. One of the pivotal aspects with domestic homes reaching the ‘D’ banded EPC rating is the presence of a condensing boiler. This is because in combination with a solar power system the condensing boiler lifts the majority of properties into the required EPC band.

Myriad CEG has recently completed a 10kWp solar PV installation on Romford Town Hall. Comprising 54 Sharp solar modules, the system is expected to save the council over 4,000kgs of carbon emissions a year.

Bristol City Council has completed what is believed to be the largest solar schools programme in the UK.

Solarsense has completed a 50kWp solar installation at the Hand Stadium in North Somerset. The project, which will reduce Clevedon Town Football Club’s energy bill and carbon footprint, is thought to be the largest in the area.

Kingspan Roof PowerPanel solar modules have been installed atop two potato storage buildings at Levenham Fen Farm in Cambridgeshire.

Opus Green has installed a 40-panel solar photovoltaics system at an alpaca farm in Northumberland. The farm, which houses both alpacas and sheep, is now self-sufficient.

Welshpool-based Organic Energy and 7 Energy of Shrewsbury have come together to complete a 225kWp solar project. The scheme, which utilised an investment of £1.2 million, saw more than 2,300 panels installed in Shropshire and Mid Wales, including a ground mounted array of 1,200 panels at Comberton Poultry Farm in Ludlow.

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) views offshore wind as its “marginal technology” – by which it means that if any renewable energy source comes in cheaper, there is every reason to exploit it to the full – but for anything more expensive than offshore wind, there has to be a very good reason for supporting it.

Myriad CEG Power has installed a solar PV array on the roof of Harris Academy Falconwood in Kent.