Energy Minister Greg Barker has been accused of “breathtaking arrogance” after he was quizzed over the collapse in the domestic market for solar PV installations. Barker was responding to a report on BBC’s You and Yours programme. read more...

A collaborative project involving a community hydro scheme and a green housing development, aiming to supply renewable energy to the Lancashire village of Halton, has been awarded a government grant. read more...

Over 30 representatives from local authorities and quarrying and mining companies with an interest in the restoration of landscapes affected by mineral extraction attended a free interactive showcase, hosted by Welsh Slate and WRAP Cymru at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, Gwynedd on 2 November. read more...

As widely predicted, the government announced plans to cut Feed in Tariff payments by more than half yesterday - meaning the annual income from an average domestic array would drop from about £1,100 to £500. The proposal would see the payments for solar generated electricity cut from 43.3p per kWh to 21p. read more...

It was a bold claim to make. Last year, residents of the Brecon Beacons village of Llangattock made it their aim that the 420-home settlement on the banks of the River Usk would be “carbon negative” by 2015. This means that heating and powering the village’s homes will not just produce zero carbon dioxide emissions, but that renewable activities will help contribute to lowering emissions from a wider area. read more...

Last week the House of Commons debated the Energy Bill again before its move for the final time back to the Lords. MPs were unable to obtain any guarantees of how valuable the Green Deal assistance will be for residents wishing to improve their homes. Most of the debate focussed on the Green Deal, the “pay as you save” scheme for retrofitting energy efficiency measures to every one of the 28 million homes in the country. read more...

The rapid growth of green roofs across the UK has been given a further boost with a publication from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) on the use of BSI PAS 100 quality compost in the development and maintenance of this increasingly popular construction application. The booklet, 'Quality Compost Use in Green Roof Construction' is the first document of its kind to outline the benefits of incorporating this material in green roof substrates. Its use helps establish vegetation in green roofs and provides a reliable source of essential nutrients and minerals which help prolong plant life. read more...

New figures released today show that the total capacity of Feed-In Tariffs installations registered in October was 30% down on the previous months at 8.2MW. With an average two month delay between installation and registration, some of this drop can be attributed to seasonality. However, during the past two months, speculation that the Government might cut the Feed-In Tariffs rates as part of the Spending Review did undermine investor confidence and this may have had a contributing factor on this month’s lower rates. read more...