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In total, 6.2GW of installed capacity was supported by FiTs between the scheme's launch in 2010 and closure in 2019

One year on: How has the solar feed-in-tariff closure impacted renewables in the UK?

The UK's Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme for small-scale renewable arrays closed on 1 April 2019, much to the disappointment of key green campaign groups and solar industry figures. But, in the 12 months that followed, how has the market responded?

The Chinese firm originally started out as a mobile phone battery manufacturer

BYD to offer electric vehicle components to auto rivals

Chinese automaker BYD has announced that it will "open its technology and products to the whole world" by sharing its electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing components with rivals and the rest of the industry, on the same week that it fully formed a joint research venture with Tesla.

Sunak has said that decarbonisation and nature protection will receive headline mentions in this week's Budget - but green groups have urged the Treasury to go further and faster. Image: Rishi Sunak

Budget: Green groups urge £33bn annual investment to meet UK's net-zero target

Ahead of Wednesday's (11 March) Budget, green groups have put forward their key asks for Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Here, edie rounds up the calls to action - including recent IPPR analysis claiming that £33bn more must be spent annually on decarbonisation to meet the 2050 net-zero target.

The Scout Moor Wind Farm (pictured) is England's second-largest onshore wind array - but the changes to policy could bolster the pipeline of developments in the coming months and years

Government announces major overhaul to UK's onshore wind subsidies

Updated: The UK Government has reversed its decision to effectively ban onshore wind, solar and energy storage from competing in the Contracts for Difference (CfD) rounds, following calls for a review to its renewables policy framework in light of the net-zero target.

Johnson’s preference to fill the Treasury with his own advisors suggests that he seeks more control over the spending decisions.

Cabinet reshuffle: Is the promised 'green budget' in doubt?

Earlier this week Chancellor Sajid Javid was said to be reviewing a string of new subsidies to assist with the UK's net-zero transition. With Javid today (13 February) resigning from the position, doubts have been caused as to whether the UK Government can prioritise the green economy in the March Budget.

The 7.3MW Creacombe community solar farm. Image: CORE

Subsidy-free community solar farm completed in Devon

In yet another boost to the UK's subsidy-free solar market, Community Owned Renewable Energy Partners (CORE) and Yealm Community Energy (YCE) have announced that a 7.3MW community solar farm has come online.

Javid will unveil his first Budget on 11 March. Image: Creative Britain, OGL v1.0

Reports: Budget to include new energy efficiency and EV subsidies to spur net-zero progress

Chancellor Sajid Javid is mulling a string of new subsidies to reduce building and transport emissions from homeowners and public sector organisations for next month's Budget, it has been reported.

According to the IPCC, humanity currently uses 72% of the Earth's ice-free land surface

Convert half of UK farmland to nature, urges top scientist

Half of the nation's farmland needs to be transformed into woodlands and natural habitat to fight the climate crisis and restore wildlife, according to a former chief scientific adviser to the UK government.

It is the first of a pilot programme that will aim to add up to 6MWp of solar technology across four army sites in the UK over the next year

Plans submitted for subsidy-free solar farm at Gloucester army barracks

Plans have been submitted by a subsidiary of Swindon Borough Council to build a subsidy-free solar farm at the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in Gloucestershire that would generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 350 homes for the year.

The thinktank is calling for new measures to reach net-zero at the current 2050 deadline without spiralling costs or harming UK competitiveness

Net-zero by 2025 'practically impossible' due to spiralling costs, report finds

Moving the UK's net-zero emission target forward 25 years is "practically impossible", according to new thinktank research which found that setting a net-zero target for 2025 would cost £200bn each year at a minimum - more than the NHS's annual budget.

The report said it was crucial that workers in fossil fuel industries were helped into new employment as production ramped down

Fossil fuel production on track for double the safe climate limit

The world's nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas as can be burned in 2030 while restricting the rise in the global temperature to 1.5C, analysis shows.

Mission Possible: Achieving net-zero carbon in Utilities

Following the UK's world-leading commitment to reach net- zero emissions by 2050, this insight report investigates how the utilities sector can radically reduce carbon whilst enabling and empowering its customers to do the same.

In 2018, renewable energy growth reached 7.2%, its highest since 2010, but still accounts for less than 12% of the energy system

Global decarbonisation efforts 'stall', pushing climate goals out of reach

Global decarbonisation efforts will need to be seven times greater than current efforts, if the world is to stand a fair chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C, according to a new PwC report which found that the rate of global decarbonisation has slowed to its lowest level since 2011.

There are more than one million solar PV installations now in operation across the UK

Subsidy-free solar 'coming of age' thanks to battery technology

Subsidy-free solar projects are "coming of age" thanks to the falling costs and flexibility of co-located battery storage technology, according to a new report which claims that more than 5GW of solar capacity could be deployed in the UK without subsidies by 2030.

More than 2,600MW of onshore wind capacity came online in 2017

Scotland's first subsidy-free onshore windfarm to be operational by 2020

A 46MW onshore windfarm in Dumfries and Galloway, in south-west Scotland, has joined the race to become the first in the country to become operational without the support of Government subsidies.

The freeze on fuel duty has saved motorists about £6bn since 2010, but is estimated to have increased traffic by 4%

Raise car fuel prices to fight air pollution, says right-wing thinktank

Vehicle fuel taxes should rise to combat the air pollution crisis in the UK, with an extra charge on diesel, according to the conservative thinktank Bright Blue.

These stories exemplify how businesses and governments across the world are ramping up efforts in all areas of sustainable development

Coors' plastic-free packaging and solar-powered trains: The sustainability success stories of the week

As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.

The subsidies for coal mining halved, from $22bn to $10bn

G20 nations triple coal power subsidies despite climate crisis

G20 nations have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants in recent years, despite the urgent need to cut the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis.

Subsidies to restore woodlands and meadows would also boost wildlife, says Rewilding Britain

Rewild a quarter of UK to fight climate crisis, campaigners urge

A quarter of the UK's land could be restored to nature, making a significant contribution towards cutting the nation's carbon emissions to zero, under a new rewilding proposal.

The patent for the Dyson car shows an SUV/crossover vehicle design

Dyson unveils electric car blueprint

Plans for the first electric car from engineering firm and appliance maker Dyson have been unveiled as the firm looks to a 2021 sale date.

Onshore wind and solar developers have been unable access subsidies since the government closed the Renewables Obligation scheme to new applicants

Doubts raised over viability of 'subsidy-free' renewables

Senior figures from the energy and finance industries have declared doubts over the feasibility of building "subsidy-free" renewables at scale without some form of revenue stabilisation.

The plaintiffs are composed of groups representing communities in virgin forest areas of the EU and the US

European lawsuit on biomass rules threatens Drax plant

A coalition of environmental campaigners has launched a court bid to stop the European Commission treating forest grown wood as a renewable source of energy.

Reaching a target of more than 30% of electricity coming from offshore wind would also mean that 70% of Britain’s energy would be from renewable sources

Government throws its weight behind offshore wind power expansion

The government will throw its weight behind an expansion in the use of offshore wind power in the hope the renewable energy source will provide a third of the UK's electricity by 2030.

The two facilities will generate enough energy annually to power 18,000 homes (Pictured: Gridserve founder Toddington Harper)

Warrington Council moves towards energy self-sufficiency with major solar and storage deal

Two industrial-scale solar farms and a 27MW battery storage facility are set to be installed in York and Hull before the end of next year, after funding for the project closed today (28 February).

Progress on fossil fuel subsidies and coal has been too slow so far to reach global decarbonisation targets, the WRI has warned

Analysis warns of lack of progress on 2020 global emissions target

Removing coal from the global energy mix is taking too long, too many forests are still being destroyed, and fossil fuel subsidies are ongoing despite their distorting effect on the market, a new study has found.

The EU spent €55bn on fossil fuel subsidies in 2016, with the UK contributing €12bn

UK revealed as EU champion of fossil fuel subsidies

The UK spends the most of any EU nation on subsidising fossil fuels, according to a new report by the European Commission, which also found that EU-wide payments have failed to decrease despite the bloc's commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The EAC claims that less than 1% of UKEF's energy financing was used for renewables in 2016

MPs to examine environmental impact of UK's export credit agency

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into the sustainability efforts being made by UK Export Finance (UKEF), following claims that the body's financing of fossil fuels overseas is at odds with the aims set out in the UK's Clean Growth Strategy.

The paper highlights uncertainty over the timing of auctions and delivery years

Volume-based renewable auctions needed to meet emissions targets

Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions must be reformed to fill a looming hole in the UK's carbon budgets, Cornwall Insight has argued in a new report.

The Climate Coach: Transport

It will take you twenty minutes to get there - depending on traffic. Not an unusual statement wherever you live. People design cities and communities and yet often it is people that seem to be least considered as most of the space for movement is taken up by cars, vans and lorries. Pedestrians are pushed to the side and cyclists must brave traffic with a risk for their lives.

The supersizing of windfarms around the British coastline means Walney Extension will not hold its title for long. Image: Ørsted

World's largest offshore windfarm opens off Cumbrian coast

The world's biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.

The installations are double the previous annual record set in 2013 and account for one-fifth of total onshore wind capacity in the UK

Policy to stifle onshore wind sector following record year for installations, report warns

The UK Government is risking billions of pounds of new investment opportunities by failing to open up new avenues to deployment for the onshore wind sector, according to a new report from industry body RenewableUK.

The expanded solar park is set to increase the park's renewable generation capacity tenfold

UK's first subsidy-free industrial solar project to power business park

A business park in Buckinghamshire is set to become the first facility of its kind in the UK to generate more solar than it requires, once the nation's first subsidy-free industrial solar installation is completed on the site.

The biggest barrier to renewable procurement among respondents was found to be cost

Is renewable energy just a 'passing trend' for businesses?

Despite the strong progress that the business world has made in driving the renewables revolution in recent months, a new survey of 1,000 UK-based utility decision makers has revealed that more than a quarter (27%) believe that renewable energy is "just a passing trend".

The data found that, on average, a kilowatt hour of electricity generated in 2017 produced 225 grams of C02, down from 483g in 2012

Wind power drives UK renewables to 30% share of electricity mix

Almost 30% of the UK's electricity in 2017 was generated from renewables, nearly a 5% increase on the previous year, as increased solar and wind installations continue to decarbonise the UK's energy and electricity mix.

The consultation paper states Government intervention may still be required to support solar and wind projects

No replacement for Feed-in Tariff 'major blow' for renewables

The Government has axed subsidies for new small-scale low-carbon electricity generation, sparking dismay from renewable energy bodies.

edie Explains: The Internet of Things

What is the Internet of Things (IoT) and how is it relevant to corporate sustainability? What are the potential business benefits of deploying IoT technology across your operations? And what does the future hold for the IoT? This free edie Explains guide gives you everything you need to know.

British solar firms have been hit by a round of subsidy cuts in 2015 and 2016, as well as changes to business rates for buildings with rooftop solar

UK solar power growth halves for second year running

New solar power installations halved in the UK last year for the second year in a row, as the fallout of government subsidy cuts continued to shake the sector.

Almost half of the gas industry’s hopes for new power stations for Europe are slated for the UK

'From coal to clean' - UK does not need to turn to gas, says WWF

The UK has no need to build new large gas-fired power stations to replace the coal plants that the government has pledged to switch off by 2025, the World Wide Fund for Nature has argued.

More than £227m was invested in 400 new independent renewable energy projects across Great Britain in 2017

Subsidy cuts slow growth of independent renewables, report finds

Investment in new, independent renewable energy projects in the UK totalled £227m in 2017, down by almost 20% from 2016 figures, according to a new report published this week.

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, presents the EU’s post-2020 long-term budget proposals [© European Union, 2018 / Source: EC - Audiovisual Service]

EU proposes 25% 'climate quota' in new long-term budget

The clean energy transition and other initiatives to decarbonise Europe's economy will represent 25% of EU spending under a seven-year EU budget plan put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday (2 May).

It was widely expected that many projects would be unable to compete in the post-ROC environment, but many new projects are beginning to compete in the subsidy-free era

Subsidy-free solar powers UK's renewable energy attractiveness

Despite a large drop in renewable energy investment in 2017, the UK has climbed three places in a ranking of the world's most attractive renewable energy markets for investors, thanks to a move towards subsidy-free solar PV.

edie brings seven surprising statistics that shaped investment into renewables in 2017

UK's struggle and Mexico's rise: Seven surprising stats about global clean energy investment

A new report from UN Environment and Bloomberg New Energy Finance has outlined the global trends of renewable energy investment, which grew by 2% last year. edie dives through the data to bring seven surprising statistics.

Wind and solar generated 18.33 terawatt hours (TWh), with nuclear on 16.69TWh, the figures published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show

Wind and solar make more electricity than nuclear for first time in UK

Windfarms and solar panels produced more electricity than the UK's eight nuclear power stations for the first time at the end of last year, official figures show.

Perry has previously said she wants to enable onshore wind projects to compete for subsidies in areas where they enjoy public support

Onshore wind and solar could compete for subsidies in CfDs

Claire Perry has signalled that onshore wind and solar projects will be allowed to compete for subsidies in a future Contract for Difference (CfD) auction.

Analysis by Aurora suggested 9GW of solar, 5GW to 6GW of onshore wind and 3GW to 4GW of offshore wind could be built without subsidies by the end of the next decade

Britain on course for £20bn subsidy-free renewables 'revolution'

Britain is on the brink of a subsidy-free renewables "revolution" which could create up to 18GW of new capacity by 2030 and attract £20 billion of investment, analysts have claimed.

Less than 6% of this auction’s power reserve comes from renewables, while less than 2% is covered through energy storage. In contrast, coal secured an 8% share

Capacity Market Auction: 'Bizarre' Government policies blocking renewables funding

The provisional results of the latest Capacity Market Auction were released by National Trust today (2 February), leading to the closure on a coal-fired power plant and concerns from the renewables sector that clean technologies are being blocked from finance.

The fall of 56% in the UK was the steepest decline, far out-stripping the decrease of 26% for Europe as a whole

UK green energy investment halves after policy changes

Investment in clean energy plunged further in Britain than in any other country last year because of government policy changes, new figures show.

The plans will offer additional funds to farmers who work together to make environmental improvements at “landscape scale”

Michael Gove: UK to reward farmers for environmental practices post-Brexit

Michael Gove will indicate that the UK will replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-Brexit with a system that gives subsidies to farmers who try to enhance the natural environment.

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the 2017 Autumn Budget to a jubilant House of Commons

Budget 2017: Chancellor takes action on air quality, electric vehicles and plastic waste

Chancellor Philip Hammond has today pledged to build an economy "fit for the future" by announcing new air quality funding, tax incentives for electric cars, and measures to combat plastic waste in his 2017 Autumn Budget.

Last month, the UK cemented its position in the top 10 rankings of the world's most attractive countries for renewable energy investment

Can government and investors make post-Brexit UK a green finance leader?

The recent Clean Growth Strategy has created a multi-billion-pound framework for low-carbon growth, but the UK Government is still keen to strengthen relationships with investors to tackle the "hard and challenging" times ahead.

The IFC report, entitled Creating Markets for Climate Business, found that governments could work with businesses by fostering renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels

Huge private sector investment puts Paris climate target in reach, says report

At least one trillion dollars are being invested globally in ways to reduce the threat of climate change, including renewable power, energy efficiency, and public transport around the world.

The REA believes that the decline in growth stemmed from Government policies restricting routes to markets for solar PV technology

Shrinking solar deployment darkens UK's record low-carbon electricity mix

Despite low-carbon sources providing more than half of all UK energy generation for the second time, the Government has been urged to address policy barriers that have "unnecessarily impeded" the development of solar technologies over the last two years.

ECIU says that price reductions mean that onshore wind farms do not need a subsidy, but most developments still require centrally-agreed fixed-price contacts

'Perverse' onshore wind policy could cost UK £1bn

The Government's "outdated" policy on onshore wind could cost the UK around £1bn over the next four or five years, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

The amount of renewable energy capacity forecast globally in 2022 has been revised upwards on last year’s forecast

Time to shine: Solar power is fastest-growing source of new energy

Solar power was the fastest-growing source of new energy worldwide last year, outstripping the growth in all other forms of power generation for the first time and leading experts to hail a "new era".

200 Chinese manufacturers built 379,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in 2015, four times more than 2014

China sets electric vehicle quota for 2019

Automakers trying to capture a slice of the Chinese vehicle market will have to ensure that 10% of the cars they sell are electric or low-emission vehicles by 2019, after the country confirmed plans to phase-out diesel vehicles.

The European Commission is due to present a clean transport strategy in November

Transport sucks up nearly half of Europe's fossil fuel subsidies, report finds

European countries spend more than €112 billion per year subsidising oil, gas and coal production or consumption - including tax breaks on highly-polluting diesel - despite a pledge to phase out fossil fuels completely by 2020.

The launch will help Anesco realise its plan to have the largest portfolio of energy storage in the UK set up and running by the end of next year

Anesco unveils UK's first subsidy-free farm

Renewable energy developer Anesco has today (26 September) heralded a "landmark" achievement with the launch of the UK's first solar farm to operate without a Government subsidy.

HEAL’s report calls on government’s around the world to switch off the subsidies tap

Fossil fuel subsidies racking up trillions in health costs

Health costs related to fossil fuel use outweigh taxpayer-funded subsidies by 600%, according to a new study that insists governments should stop pumping money into dirty energy sources.

A shift away from compensation to exemption from the Renewables Obligation scheme would save energy-intensive industries around £196m annually

Should energy-intensive businesses be exempt from renewable energy costs?

A move from Government to exempt Britain's energy-intensive industries from some of the costs associated with renewable energy policies has ignited a debate over whether such a move is necessary for the growth of green business.

The UK is the biggest importer of wood pellets in the European Union (EU), shipping in more than seven million tonnes from the US and Canada in 2015

UK's biomass ambition: Low-cost solution or forest full of loopholes?

A new report has outlined that using waste and biomass for gasification can help the UK meet its 2050 carbon targets at a lower cost to the economy, on the same day that research condemned a biomass standard used by Drax, E.ON and DONG as a "forest of loopholes".

The members are calling for a cap of 550g of CO2 per kwh for generators receiving capacity mechanism subsidies in the EU

Energy giants back calls to cut financial support for polluting powerplants

A coalition of thirteen energy industry firms, including Siemens, Shell and Total, have launched a new joint initiative to limit the amount of state aid subsidies that are sent to highly-polluting fossil fuel plants across the European Union (EU).

The outcome is slightly more generous than the original consultation which proposed reducing the benefit to around £2/kW

Ofgem condemned for slashing subsidies for small-scale energy generation

Energy regulator Ofgem has faced accusations of "hammering" the financial viability of low-carbon projects, after it confirmed subsidies made to small-scale electricity generators will fall by up to 93%.

2016 is the first year that the new solar capacity added to the energy mix has been greater than any other electricity-producing technology

'Spectacular' drop in renewable energy costs leads to record global boost

Renewable energy capacity around the world was boosted by a record amount in 2016 and delivered at a markedly lower cost, according to new global data - although the total financial investment in renewables actually fell.

edie's five-minute green policy survey is your opportunity to lay out your top policy priorities for the year ahead, with the results curated into a full green business manifesto for edie readers

The great green policy survey: Last chance to tell us the issues that matter most

The countdown to the General Election is on and tension is beginning to mount among the green business community as to which political party to vote for. Take edie's short survey to tell us which areas of energy and environment policy you want the next UK Government to prioritise.

Skorupska called for clarity on how the Industrial Strategy plans integrate decentralised and smart technologies to enable the UK to reach its low-carbon commitments

A 'committed' Government can spur post-Brexit renewables job growth, says REA

EXCLUSIVE: The UK's departure from the European Union (EU) should be facilitated by a new Government that uses key "lighthouse areas" to outline how the country plans embed low-carbon smart technologies into operations as a means to attract better investment options.

Elsewhere on the index, both China and India have surpassed the US which fell to third following policy changes introduced by the Trump administration

UK re-enters top 10 for renewables attractiveness

The UK has restored its position as one of the top 10 countries for renewable energy investment, although concerns remain about the impact that Brexit will have on future investments.

Overall, the 10 nations have provided £5.3bn annually between 2005 to 2016 on coal subsidies

UK's £350m coal subsidies clash with Government's phase-out pledges

The UK is providing £356m annually in coal subsidies, despite the UK Government denying that it provides financial support for fossil fuels, a new report has claimed.