Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes
Those living in flats or rented homes in the UK could soon plug in their own “balcony solar panels” to save on their energy bills under plans set out in the government’s solar power strategy.The proposals could mean that British households that are unable to install rooftop solar panels will soon join millions of people across Europe who generate their own electricity with “plug-in” panels.These panels, found on balconies across Spain and Germany, can be plugged directly into a home’s power socket to generate solar electricity for the household.The DIY panels are already fitted to about 1.5m balconies in Germany, where they are known as Balkonkraftwerk (balcony power plant).
They typically save households about 30% on their energy bills and cost between €400-800, with no installation fees required, meaning they pay for themselves within six years.There is also growing interest in balcony solar across Spain, Italy, Poland and in France.But in the UK, regulations do not currently allow plug-in solar, meaning bill payers in flats or rented homes are often blocked from benefiting from cheap solar power, while others face hurdles due to the relatively high upfront cost of installing traditional rooftop solar systems.Michael Shanks, the energy minister, said: “Through solar, we are rolling out the quickest to build and one of the cheapest forms of energy for families to start saving hundreds on their energy bills, all while helping tackle the climate crisis.”The government has promised to consult on the plans to bring balcony solar power from the continent to Britain as part of a new roadmap towards tripling the UK’s solar power capacity, published on Monday.
Ministers are also considering the potential to install more rooftop solar on the canopies of large outdoor car ports and believe there is significant scope to install solar panels on warehouse and factory roofs.Just 20% of the UK’s biggest warehouses could provide up to 15 gigawatts of solar capacity – or half the planned growth by the end of the decade, according to the government’s clean power plan.The plans to back rooftop solar are likely to find strong support from consumer groups and local community campaigners concerned about the impact of the government’s ambitious targets for Britain’s countryside and farmland.The government has promised that its solar ambitions will require less than half a percent of the UK’s total land.Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, hopes to grow the capacity of the UK’s solar farms from 18GW today to between 45 and 47GW by the end of the decade.
Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionHe has already approved a string of major solar farms across the Midlands since the Labour party came to power last year, including the largest solar farm in the UK at the old Cottam coal plant site on the borders of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.The goal set out in the roadmap is slightly lower than the Labour party’s election manifesto pledge to triple the UK’s solar capacity to 50GW by 2030, but the strategy has suggested that the UK may be able to overshoot the target by up to 10GW if rooftop solar panels are included in the tally.The government has promised that families could save about £500 a year on their energy bills by installing rooftop solar panels as part of the government’s solar strategy, which could support up to 35,000 jobs.Chris Stark, who leads the government’s clean power “mission control” unit, said the “once in a generation increase” in solar power would “only be possible with a mission-focus” on working in partnership with the industry and reforming the queue of solar projects waiting to join the grid.
Carlos Alcaraz escapes first-round scare as Fabio Fognini tests his limits
Carlos Alcaraz said he was proud to have squeezed into the second round after struggling with his nerves and the heat on Centre Court during his dramatic five-set win against Fabio Fognini on Monday.In searing temperatures, Alcaraz started his pursuit of a third consecutive Wimbledon title by outlasting the veteran Italian 7-5, 6-7 (1), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 after 4hr 37min on-court.“I’m getting mature and I know how to deal with some situations,” the Spaniard said. “I always say that the champions always find a way. I really want to see myself in that [list] of champions
Emma Raducanu too strong for teenager Mimi Xu in British battle
“Come on Britain!” echoed through the sweltering 32C heat on No 1 Court as Emma Raducanu defeated Mimi Xu in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. The all-British clash featured two players – attired similarly in matching outfits and golf visors – who captivated the home crowd.While Raducanu has been a fan favourite since her fairytale 2021 US Open triumph, the grand slam debutant Xu, ranked No 300 in the world, has impressed in junior circuits and shown significant promise on the senior tour.“It was an interesting dynamic today,” Raducanu said. “It is really awkward playing a Brit, especially someone younger
Farewell tradition, hello robots: Wimbledon adjusts to life without line judges
Sometimes progress registers simply as absence, and so it was on the opening day of Wimbledon this year when the pursuit of greater accuracy led to the disappearance of the tournament’s famous line judges.Electronic line calls are now in operation in SW19, bringing the championships into line with the grand slam tournaments in Melbourne and New York and also the ATP Tour. The French Open still uses line judges. But the shift to camera‑based, AI‑enhanced decision-making cuts deeper at Wimbledon, where up to 300 line judges have been a colourful part of the tournament’s ensemble cast for the past 147 years.With protests outside the gates (albeit with tongue in cheek) and ambivalence among fans, there were also unexpected reactions from players to the changes
Sibley hits 305 as Surrey break run record: county cricket day two – as it happened
On and on went big bad Dom. Past 200, past his highest previous score, past 250 and, with a sprinted single that left him spreadeagled in the Oval dust, to 300.Sibley clambered to his feet, raised his bat and soaked up the warm applause for a mammoth effort of concentration: 28 fours, two sixes and 472 balls of toil as the mercury rose. He joins an elite club of triple-centurions for Surrey at the Oval, in Mark Ramprakash, Kevin Pietersen, Bobby Abel, Jack Hobbs and Tom Hayward. At the other end, Dan Lawrence shimmied 174 and Will Jacks 119 as Surrey set their record first-class score, finally putting Durham out of their misery at 820 for nine
Wimbledon diary: strawberry sandwiches, pricey rackets and Oliver Tarvet’s expenses
“Where are the strawberries and cream?” was among the more unexpected questions for one of Wimbledon’s army of volunteer stewards as the crowd streamed through the gates on Monday morning, given that the answer is “absolutely everywhere you look”. It was a different story, though, at the local branch of Marks & Spencer, where 300 packs of the chain’s specially commissioned strawberry & crème sandwich, a staple food for influencers on Instagram and TikTok in recent days, ran out shortly after 9am. A sample did make it into the media room, however, and while strawberries “paired with whipped cream cheese on sweetened bread” might sound like the losing team’s product idea on week two of The Apprentice, it has to be said … it’s very edible.There was an air of genteel bedlam in the main Wimbledon shop as the first wave of merch-hungry tennis fans poured through the doors in search of SW19-branded booty. The demand for hats and towels was, not surprisingly, rather stronger than that for sweatshirts and hoodies, and no one at all seemed inclined to lug around one of the giant tennis rackets – designed to be hung on the wall, apparently – that are the most expensive single items in the shop at £600 a pop
Mystery swirls around Bumrah as unchanged England overlook Archer for second Test
One of the many delights of leafy south Birmingham is when an international cricket team is in town and residents stumble across them training on the Colts Ground at Edgbaston. Folks could be heading for a stroll in Cannon Hill Park, or their weekly shop at Aldi, only to suddenly find themselves watching Jasprit Bumrah let fly.Sadly, the fences were covered with tarpaulins after some hecklers over the weekend. There was a decent subplot playing out inside as India trained, too, over whether Bumrah will play the sold-out second Test that starts . Having bowled these past few days, the man himself offered a passing “hopefully”
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