The farm utilises the roof space on one of the university’s buildings, where 70 square metres of photovoltaic panels have been installed to enable university researchers and UK developers the chance to conduct research and test new technology in the field.

The panels will also help save the university’s business electricity costs by feeding any excess electricity they generate back into the National Grid.

Known as the Solar Farm, the project is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and it is hoped it will provide a benchmark for using solar technology in northern regions of England.

Opening the plant, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told Green Energy UK: “As we face the huge challenges of climate change and energy security, it is vital the UK moves away from its reliance on fossil fuels and on to low carbon technologies. I am proud that the University of Sheffield is at the cutting edge of renewables research.
It is hoped results from the Solar Farm tests will help improve photovoltaic technology for generations to come, enabling it to be used more easily to meet domestic and business electricity needs.

Photovoltaic technology is one of the main challengers to fossil fuels for electricity generation. Many businesses, large and small, have begun to investigate the possibility of installing solar panels and other green technology in their buildings to help reduce not just their carbon footprint, but also their business electricity costs. Let’s hope that the results of tests carried out in Sheffield will help provide more affordable, attainable generation of electricity for businesses of all sizes.

For advice on all aspects of business electricity contracts, including switching supplier, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full story in Green Energy UK

The high point came at 8.30pm, which is the middle of the evening electricity peak, and National Grid reported that across the whole day large wind farms generated five per cent of the country’s over all electricity demands.

These figures, however, don’t include smaller wind farms connected to low voltage local electricity networks, the scheme that many favour rolling out along with self generation. On Monday this local electricity generation contributed a further five per cent, meaning in total 10 per cent of the UK’s electricity needs were met by wind power.

The same magazine also reports that in 2009, three quarters of newly installed photovoltaic (solar powered) energy generation was in Europe, showing a further shift towards green energy for domestic and business electricity needs.

A study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre showed that the peak amount of PV generated electricity across the world was 7.4 gigawatts. Europe accounted for 5.8GW of that figure.

This business electricity story was brought to you by Energy Advice Line. Contact EAL today for energy saving tips and help with switching business energy supplier.

Read the wind power story here: http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/news/uk/electricity/new-record-for-wind-generation-1.php

And the photovoltaic energy story here: http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/news/europe/europe-accounted-for-75-of-the.php

Businesses across the UK are struggling to meet overheads such as business electricity and gas thanks to the combination of higher costs and the continued difficulty in getting finance from banks.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Santander is unable to let its bank managers exercise discretion about how much, or indeed if anything, can be lent to companies because of over-zealous FSA rules.

Steve Pateman, the head of corporate and commercial banking for Santander UK, told a meeting of MPs the FSA would find it “unsatisfactory” if the bank let regional managers make the call on lending decisions.

All four main high street business banks, RBS, Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays, claim they want to rebuild customer relationships at branch level following a head-office clampdown on lending during the recession. But this is proving difficult to align with FSA rules.

Michael Fallon, a senior MP on the Treasury Select Committee, said he was alarmed by this approach and would be raising the issue with the committee.

A spokesperson for the FSA rejected the claims, maintaining the banks’ lending policies were up to the banks themselves. The FSA’s focus remained on appropriate risk management systems being put in place, she added.

Such news is worrying for all small business owners who are trying to get back, or indeed stay, on their feet. Continued lack of finance could have a potentially devastating effect on thousands of SMES.

For advice on how your business can save money on overheads including business electricity and business gas, contact Energy Advice Line today.

You can read the full story in The Daily Telegraph

The four companies under to be investigated are Npower, ScottishPower, Scottish & Southern Energy and EDF Energy and all are to be questioned over telephone sales and face-to-face sales of energy contracts.

Ofgem has received information from a variety of sources suggesting they could have breached new rules. All four companies have confirmed they will work with Ofgem on the investigation.

The investigation focuses on the domestic energy market, but business electricity customers should also be wary of cold calling and hard sell tactics from energy suppliers when contracts are up for renewal.

Julian Morgan of Energy Advice Line said: “At Energy Advice Line we do not agree with door step and cold call sales tactics that are being criticised today.”

He added: “We are totally transparent, which is why you can get a quote online. We compare all suppliers to help find the best contract options for your business electricity needs.”

Research conducted by OfGem in 2008 found that domestic electricity customers who switched supplier, more than half did so after contact with a salesman. But many then found themselves on a higher tariff than they were on originally and as a result new regulations were brought in at the end of 2009.

For help switching business electricity supplier, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full story at the BBC.

EDF remains adamant that the rise in electricity prices will only affect a minority of its customers, citing an increase of 16 per cent on average to electricity distribution and transmission costs since it last changed its prices, in March 2009.

Business electricity customers on fixed tariff contracts will not immediately be affected by these price increases but many will still be concerned that rises will eventually be passed on to them when it comes to contract renewal time.

Finding the cheapest deal for business energy has never been more important to many SMEs and business electricity prices remain a real concern.

When it comes to contract renewal, it is more vital than ever to shop around to ensure you’re getting the best deal. No matter which of the “big six” energy suppliers you purchase your business energy from, it is virtually guaranteed that you will not be offered the best deal from your current supplier.

The most important thing to be aware of is your contract renewal date. Not paying attention to this could lead to your business being rolled over into a more expensive business gas or electricity contract.

By contacting an independent adviser such as Energy Advice Line, you can quickly and easily compare quotes from all business energy suppliers. You are under no obligation to go with the recommended contract, but this takes a lot of time and worry out of contacting suppliers.

If your contract renewal date is approaching, contact Energy Advice Line today to see how they can help you save money on business electricity and gas.

Read the full story at Utility Week

As reported in The Daily Telegraph, owner of the house the Hon Simon Howard spent £160,000 on fitting an underwater ground-source heat recovery system to the stately home last year. This has already slashed his business energy costs by half, from £40,000 to £20,000.

The Carbon Trust provided a grant of £60,000 to help with the cost of installation, which helped take the sting out of the initial quote, a figure Howard described as nearly making him fall off his chair.

However, he is pleased with the results. Castle Howard was built in the 18th Century and, thanks largely to the success of the ITV series Brideshead Revisited, it now welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year as well as remaining home to the Howard family.

While this largescale business energy project costs far more than most small businesses could invest, there are still plenty of ways to save on your business electricity and gas costs.

The Carbon Trust is able to provide help in the form of interest free loans to many SMEs.

For advice on how to save on your business electricity and gas, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full story in The Daily Telegraph

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has this week sought to address this question by inviting proposals for green energy transportation. Organisations are invited to take part in a ‘techno-economic’ evaluation project of transportable energy storage.

For many business energy customers, concern about the cost of transporting electricity generated at offshore wind farms will be a major worry, as such a cost is likely to be passed on to the consumer. The more remote the location, the more challenging it is to connect transmission lines such as electricity networks or pipelines.

The ETI needs to perform detailed analysis before deciding whether to support the development of transportable energy storage technologies. Issues including whether transportable energy storage is likely to be beneficial and at what cost such projects could run efficiently.
You can read the full story in Utility Week

In the current economic climate, investment may be tricky to come by and could well be the last thing on many small business owners’ minds. But by improving energy efficiency, the cost of business electricity and gas could be slashed.

Euan Murray, general manager of the Carbon Trust Footprinting Company, told Morgan Lovell: “More businesses are starting to think and act on their carbon footprint and energy emissions, helping them both meet standards for environmental best practice and save on the costs of energy.”

However, he also warned SME owners to be cautious of accepting companies’ energy efficiency claims at face value, urging businesses to ensure there was “robust” evidence backing up any such claims.

Energy efficient changes to your business can range from simply switching to greener products, such as energy efficient light bulbs or printers and office equipment fitted with timer switches to changes to your office design to make the most of features such as windows for light, preserving heat and so on.

For tips on making your workplace greener and advice on how to save on business electricity and gas costs, contact Energy Advice Line today.

You can read the full article at Morgan Lovell

Concern about going into the red is the major stumbling block to many SMEs otherwise keen to go green.

An expansion of the existing loan scheme for small businesses and creating more incentives for firms to make their buildings greener are just two of the FSB’s recommendations to help improve business energy efficiency. The Government needs to look at these schemes in order to meet the UK’s tough carbon emission reduction targets, says the report.

The UK is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and the report, ‘Making sense of going green – small businesses and low carbon economy’, looks at the many opportunities which will enable small businesses to play their part.

According to the FSB, economic viability is the key to encouraging small businesses to turn over a new, greener leaf. Many small businesses appreciate the benefits to be gained from green investment and wish to achieve more efficiency (and thus lower costs) for their business electricity and gas. But the level of upfront investment required is putting them off.

At the moment, a zero per cent loan scheme is available to small businesses in order to buy energy efficient equipment. This scheme runs on a ‘pay as you save’ basis, meaning there is not an upfront cost to be met and SMEs can see a genuine cost saving through business energy efficiency. The FSB wants this scheme to be reformed and expanded.

At present, 47 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions come from buildings. One problem for businesses is that 44 per cent of SMEs rent their premises, and with many leases of less than five years, neither business nor landlord will see the benefits of making the building as energy efficient as possible. That’s a real disincentive and to tackle it the FSB recommends:

Incentivising private sector providers (banks, energy or construction companies) to pay the upfront costs of major building energy efficiency upgrades
Guaranteeing ‘pay as you save’ repayments through energy bills – by linking the responsibility of repayment to the building would help overcome the landlord/tenant divide
Supporting new business owners to green their buildings by encouraging firms in the worst G-rated buildings to take steps to move to an F-rating
Not penalising those who increase their rateable value through greening their premises by waiving the increased business rates.
For advice on saving on your business energy costs, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full report on the Federation of Small Businesses site

The report, published in The Independent, focuses on environmentally friendly architecture (such as solar panels and ‘green’ window design). In the study, employees were moved from conventional buildings to those certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scheme (LEED).

The transferred workers were less prone to stress related conditions and took fewer sick days. They were also seen to be more productive, perhaps related to improvements in their health.

LEED certification was developed in the US by the United States Green Building Council and is now recognised in most countries as the world standard for the efficient use of business energy and minimal impact on the environment.

There are many ways in which you can make your business premises more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, saving you money on business electricity and gas and improving conditions for your staff.

For some quick business energy saving tips you can implement today, visit Energy Advice Line

Read the full story in The Independent