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China’s Longi looks to slash costs as renewable energy sector faces tough headwinds from inflationThe world’s largest solar manufacturer has slashed nearly a third of its workforce after a cost-cutting drive that included telling staff to only print in black and white fell short and as a chill ripples through the renewable energy sector.China’s Longi is to cut as much as 30% of its...

Installations must speed up 11-fold as advisers say latest changes to scheme likely to make 2028 target even harderThe public spending watchdog has criticised the slow pace of the government’s heat pump rollout just days after ministers postponed an important scheme designed to increase the rate of installations.A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found that heat pump installations would need to...

Decision by premier Danielle Smith further pits Canadian province against environmental groups pushing green energyAlberta will block renewable energy projects on “prime” agricultural land and limit the placement of wind turbines to preserve “pristine viewscapes”, a decision that increasingly pits the western Canadian province against environmental groups pushing green energy – and the companies investing in it.The decision, announced by the premier, Danielle Smith,...

Tory government has ‘ducked’ difficult decisions, leading to higher bills, says shadow energy secretaryBusiness live – latest updatesLabour has claimed a “culture of inertia and stasis” has blocked renewable energy projects under the Conservatives and says the party will overturn a de facto onshore wind ban “at the stroke of a pen” if it wins the general election.The shadow energy secretary, Ed Miliband, told...

Regional mayor Dan Norris launches project to explore potential for former mines to produce low-carbon heat When Bryn Hawkins worked in coalmines through the 1960s and early 1970s he says few understood the impact the burning of fossil fuels would have on the planet.Now, public officials are hoping disused mines that provided millions of tonnes of fossil fuels could be used as a potential...

Industry data shows almost 190,000 installed last year as well as record number of heat pump installationsThe number of households and businesses installing rooftop solar panels has reached its highest level in 12 years, while heat pump installations climbed to record highs in 2023, according to the industry’s official standards body.The figures showed almost 190,000 rooftop solar installations were carried out last year, the...

Climate thinktank says Britain could be left trailing in global race to develop low-carbon energyLabour’s independent energy advisers have warned the party against watering down its £28bn green spending plans in advance of its promise to create a zero carbon electricity system by 2030.Experts at the climate thinktank Ember, which provided the independent analysis underpinning Labour’s green targets, said growing international competition for low-carbon...

Data shows 2023 had second-highest record of rooftop solar installations as small-scale solar continues to growQuarterly installations of new solar panels reached a record at the end of 2023, with Australian households more than three times as likely to have a photovoltaic system as a back yard swimming pool.Households and businesses added 921 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity in the December quarter, according to...