(144 results)
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - May 9, 2019
Public support for renewables remains high as Britain goes a full week without coal
BEIS today published their quarterly Public Attitudes Tracker. The report found that support for renewable technologies including solar and wave and tidal reached their highest levels since the survey began in 2012. Support for the use of renewable energy remained high at 84%. This report comes as it is announced that Britain went a full week without coal for the first time since 1882.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - May 3, 2019
Tax rate hike for domestic Solar, Storage and Biomass Boiler markets contested by industry
A sudden consultation released by HMRC, which closes today, proposes to increase VAT rates for technologies such as solar, biomass boilers, and energy storage. The VAT rate hike from 5% to 20% for many domestic installations will make it more expensive for households to reduce their carbon footprint and further slow deploymentThe hike comes off the back of wider withdrawal of policy support and in the same week the UK Parliament declared a ‘climate emergency’ and the Committee on Climate Change published its report recommending the UK reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050Supplies of coal fuel for home use still receive a reduced 5% VAT rate. The REA has come up with possible solutions in its consultation response and urges government not to proceed with this hike or reclassify solar, biomass boilers and energy storage, to ensure incentives for decarbonising homes are supported.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - May 2, 2019
CCC confirm that the fall in the cost of renewables will enable ‘net zero’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) publish their long awaited report on setting the UK’s long-term emissions targets. The report highlights that the significant decline in renewable energy costs makes this more ambitious target more affordable. REA support report but argue that to secure economic advantages of being a first mover, long-term investable policy is required.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Apr 8, 2019
REA comments on the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
On the 8th April the Ultra-Low Emission Zone will come into force in Greater London.
BLOG - Apr 1, 2019
Renewables in Buildings; Building ‘Power’ful Homes of the Future
Emissions reductions from the UK’s 29 million homes have stalled, while energy use in homes – which accounts for 14% of total UK emissions – increased between 2016 and 2017. Our homes are just not good enough to deal with climate change, the CCC warns in its recent report. Energy nerds realise the low hanging fruit is being picked (decarbonising power), and that we now need to focus on encouraging new sectors (especially construction and transport) to join the renewables transition. The Government’s spring statement highlighted their dedication to decarbonising the buildings sector, so this blog looks to review targets and policy framework, understand what the future homes package looks like, and explore its real value.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 28, 2019
Total energy production from renewables is now nearly 13 times higher than coal
Government data shows that the overall energy output from bioenergy and waste, wind, solar and hydro is now nearly 13 times higher than coal. This comes just seven years after generation from coal was greater. Renewables share of electricity generation was at a record high in 2018 producing 111 TWh with a 33.3% share.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 27, 2019
Shortlist announced for the UK’s most prestigious renewable energy and clean technologies awards
The REA has today released the shortlisted nominees for the 2019 British Renewable Energy Awards, the UK’s most prestigious awards for renewable and clean technology sectors. Nominees will be considered by an esteemed judging panel on the 23rd May. The full list of judges will be announced over the coming weeks. Now in its fourteenth […]
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 26, 2019
REA: BIOENERGY IS THE “LITTLE-KNOWN LEADER” IN BRITISH RENEWABLES
The UK’s leading renewables trade body has called on Ministers to renew long-term plans for a world-leading bioenergy industry.
Bioenergy, which uses sustainable biomass and biofuels produced from wood, crops and food wastes, is already the UK’s leading source of renewable energy, meeting 7.4% of our total energy needs. Only wind exceeds its output in the renewable power sector.
The Committee on Climate Change projected last year that bioenergy could double as a proportion of the UK’s primary energy supply by 2050. However, promises made in 2012 by the Coalition government to renew its strategy by 2017 failed to materialise, leaving the sector to drift. The gaps in the policy and regulatory framework are now growing, with existing support mechanisms ending, and the pipeline for future bioenergy projects being constrained.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 21, 2019
16MW Solar PV Projects could be “Ghosted” by Government due to FiT deployment cap breach
With the closure of the government support mechanism for microgeneration just 10 days away, the Feed-in-Tariff band for over 50kWp rooftop solar projects has been breached. Ofgem’s weekly capacity updates show that an additional 16MW of projects (which could power over 3300 homes) have been registered, although these risk being “ghosted” by the government scheme due to stringent capacity band caps.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 19, 2019
REA comments on the Future of Urban Mobility Strategy
The Department for Transport released their Future of Urban Mobility Strategy alongside a response to the Last Mile Call for Evidence. The Government claims the new Strategy will aim to maximise the benefits from transport innovation in cities and towns. The Strategy includes a £90m funding competition to support local leaders and industry in trialling new mobility services, modes and models and an ambitious regulatory review covering aspects such as data sharing. The REA urges the Government to address the issues outlined in the Last Mile Delivery consultation and prioritise the interoperability of public EV charging as outlined in the REA’s The Interoperability of public EV charging networks in the UK report.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 13, 2019
Positive Commitments for the industry announced in Spring Statement
In the Spring Statement the Chancellor announced: a Consultation later this year on increasing the proportion of green gas in the grid with the aim of reducing natural gas dependency in homes and businesses; a Call for Evidence on an Energy Efficiency Scheme for Small and Medium Sized Businesses exploring how the Government can support investment in energy efficiency measures; as part of the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge the introduction of a Future Homes Standard by 2025 to see fossil fuel heating systems replaced with low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures; a Call for Evidence on Offsetting Transport Emissions which will give consumers the option to offset emissions from their journeys.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Mar 8, 2019
Rebecca Pow announced as new chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles
Rebecca Pow MP has been elected as the new Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles after being nominated by former Chair, the Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP. Dame Cheryl announced that she would be stepping down as Chair after successfully establishing the group and supporting its membership growth to over 40 parliamentarians over the past year. She will continue to be involved in the APPG in her new role as Vice Chair.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Feb 27, 2019
New report urges UK EV industry to prioritise consumer ease of using public charging points
A new report and position paper released today from the REA is making the case that greater ‘interoperability’ between EV charging networks in the UK should be an industry priority.
The REA is the UK’s largest trade association for renewable energy and clean tech, representing around 70 companies operating in the UK’s EV charging sector including energy suppliers, manufacturers, charge point installers and operators, and financiers.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Feb 18, 2019
REA Welcomes Government’s proposals to reform waste system
Earlier today the Government announced their plans to overhaul the waste system through a series of consultations. The four consultations focus on reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system, consistency in Household and Business Recycling Collections in England, introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and introducing a tax on plastic packaging which does not meet a minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content.This comes exactly two months after the Resource and Waste Strategy was published promising to introduce mandatory food waste collections by 2023.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Feb 8, 2019
Drax to capture up to a tonne of CO2 each day as part of their world-first BECCS pilot
Drax has announced that the first carbon dioxide has been captured as part of their bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) pilot. This is the first-time carbon dioxide has been captured from the combustion of 100% biomass feedstock anywhere in the world. The pilot has been capturing up to a tonne of CO2 a day which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Feb 7, 2019
REA comments on The Global Warming Policy Foundation’s Energy Storage report
The Global Warming Policy Foundation published their Grid-Scale Storage: Can it solve the intermittency problem? report. The report claims that the lack of suitable storage technologies means that intermittent renewables cannot replace dispatchable coal, gas and nuclear power. The report also adds that due to this, a sensible energy policy cannot be based on them.
NEWS & PRESS RELEASES - Feb 6, 2019
ENA introduce new standardised process for charge points in all types of properties and businesses
Energy Networks Association (ENA) has introduced a new standardised process that will cut the paperwork required for charge point installations. The standardised process covers all types of properties and businesses and will be the first time that commercial properties have been included.The process will also cover connecting heat pumps to local networks.