Renew On Line (UK) 32

Extracts from the July-August 2001 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

PV Lifts off

70,000 PV roof plan

As we noted in Renew 131, the UK Government has allocated £10 million for solar photovoltaics (PV) over the next three years as part of the drive to catch up with Germany and Japan. This strategy was outlined in a report produced by the Government-Industry Photovoltaics Group which had been set up in the summer of 2000.

The report says that the most effective way of deploying PV in the UK is a major grant programme to support the installation of solar PV arrays on some 70,000 domestic properties and several hundred non-domestic buildings.

It also calls for connection to the grid to be made more simple, clear planning guidance and a fair price for electricity exported to the grid.

Speaking at the Northumbria Photovoltaics Applications Centre Energy, Minister Peter Hain said that: "A major installation programme would encourage the electricity and construction industries to address the needs of the PV sector. I urge British industry to invest in PV system and component production enabling the UK to compete with Japan and Germany for a vast global market."

He added "There are particularly opportunities for this technology in Developing Countries such as Africa, China and India, where a large proportion of the population are without electricity, and PV offers aviable alternative to diesel generators etc. British businesses involved could take advantage if this."

In particular, he said there were "opportunities for employment in the North East and otherparts of the UK, to attract new investment in PV module assembly plants and in cell production facilities. There is even more scope for job creation in the supporting component supply industries and in installation and servicing."

See http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable/photovoltaics

£3m more for PV

Subsequently, in May the DTI announced up to £3 million of additional investment into a solar housing trial and called on housing developers to bid for a share of the money. This new funding will add a further 300 homes to the 166 homes covered by the first round of funding from the PV solar programme. At the formal opening of a roof-top solar showcase at the offices of PV pioneers, Solar Century, near Waterloo Station, Energy Minister Peter Hain said: ‘This extra money will help provide the right learning experience before the UK embarks on a much larger installation programme. This Government is serious about solar energy. This solar housing trial is just the start of a long term strategy; I want to see thousands, rising to tens of thousands of roofs covered by solar panels every year over the next ten year, rivalling the large programmes in Germany and Japan’.

By the end of 2001, more than 100 homes will be installed with solar photovoltaic cells as a result of the first round. The solar PV demonstration programme has £10 m allocated for the next three years. It will also receive a share of the £100 m renewables fund announced by the Prime Minister on 5 March.

The first call of the Domestic Solar PV Systems Field Trial was launched in May 2000 and was supported by £1.4 million to support nine projects, a total of 166 houses. It is expected that most of the 300 installations built under the second round will be completed by the end of 2002.

In addition, the Large-Scale BIPV Field Trial will be advertised in the EU Official Journal and other trade and specialist press in the next few weeks. For this, the Government will provide £3 million for twelve to fifteen installations on non domestic buildings. It will cover installations larger than 20kWpeak on non-domestic buildings.

*Laings are now building houses with PV solar integrated into their roof material produce, for example at their N. London development in Edmonton. See www.laing.co.uk/news/current/1.html