TOP STORIES Hugh McNeal: "Let’s take advantage of the opportunities in renewables" MRS Training and Rescue riding the brisk winds of change Scottish Power’s record £2bn investment for clean energy Labour seeks input from unions for green revolution AROUND THE WEB Stories from around the web that may be of interest for professionals working in renewables. A working wind turbine has been fitted with a superconductor instead of permanent magnets for the first time ever, reports Chemistry World. This advance could lead to lighter, smaller and cheaper turbines. X (a Google offshoot that explores radical technologies) has been investigating the use of molten salt to create a grid-scale energy storage solution. In mid-February, the world's biggest offshore wind farm starting supplying power to the UK's electricity grid, reports the Guardian. Hornsea One is the first of four planned wind farms off the Yorkshire coast. Wired reports on a material called perovskite, which is being used to create thinner, lighter and more efficient solar cells. Its potential could see it being incorporated into windows, vehicles, electronics, or even clothing. PROSPECT PUBLICATIONS Prospect launched a new pamphlet on renewable energy at a special Parliamentary event in December attended by MPs, industry leaders and Prospect members. The pamphlet includes five key recommendations for the government to support and expand the renewables sector in the UK. Prospect is working alongside three other unions, who together represent 200,000 members across the energy sector, on a "Just Transition" initiative. Just transition is about the fair treatment of workers and communities who will be most affected by the energy sector’s shift towards a lower carbon world. EnergyEye is Prospect's regular 8-page printed newsletter for members working across the energy sector. The latest issue features an interview with Northern Powergrid's Rod Gardner, who was recently awarded an OBE, and a guest column from Audrey Gallacher, director of policy at Energy UK PASS ON THE RENEWABLES NEWSLETTER If you have colleagues working in renewables, or who are interested in learning more about the sector, they can subscribe to get future issues delivered to their inbox. |