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The California city of Berkeley has approved a new financing scheme for loans to homeowners who install rooftop solar panels, a landmark programme that could inspire other US cities to follow suit. The Berkeley scheme would finance city-backed solar loans through a small addition to the property taxes of each participating home, eliminating the need to find up-front cash to install panels that can cost the average American upwards of $30,000.

Spain has set a record this week by powering 29-40% of its electricity needs from wind energy. A huge 11,180 MW was generated on Thursday when high winds blew through north west Spain. When demand was lower early in the morning, wind energy supplied 40% of the country's requirements whilst later on when demand rose, wind energy supplied 29%. This year wind turbines have supplied 11.5% of electricity demand in Spain positioning the country as the third biggest producer of wind energy next to Germany (second) and the US (first). There is a national target of reaching 20,000 MW by 2010. This compares with a figure of just 7300 MW likely to be operational in the UK by 2010 (the number currently built or with planning consent). Companies with a significant presence in Spain are Iberdrola, Acciona and Endesa.

TreeHugger has a post on the large volume of offshore wind power projects planned for Scotland - 6.4 Gigawatts of Offshore Wind Farms Slated for Scotland. A couple months back it was announced that the UK's Crown Estate would be helping out with financing pre-construction costs for offshore wind farms . Now comes word that The Crown Estate-which owns development rights in UK waters out to 200 miles-has offered exclusive agreements to nine companies for the development of offshore wind farms in Scottish waters totaling more than 6 GW of power. There are 10 plans on the table under these agreements: The largest is the Argyll Array at 1,500 MW, to be developed by Scottish Power Renewables. Airtricity Holdings has a sites amounting to 2,678 MW (Kintyre, 378 MW; Islay, 680 MW; Beatrice 920 MW; Bell Rock 700 MW). Inch Cape will see 905 MW of wind power developed by NPower Renewables. Fred Olsen Renewables will develop 415 MW at the Forth Array.

As Sultan Al Jaber breezed into the room, wearing a flowing white dishdash and distractedly tapping on his iPhone, he looked every bit the harried chief executive. Any notion of a long chat was quickly extinguished.

In the home, these Vampires represent between 5 and 8 percent of a single family home's total electricity use per year, according to the Department of Energy. The problem is multiplied many times over in offices in the US and around the world according to an international study released this week by 1E and the Alliance to Save Energy. The study found nearly half of US workers who use a PC at their job do not typically shut down at night. The 2009 PC Energy Report, which examines workplace PC power consumption in the US, UK and Germany, estimated that US organizations waste $2.8 billion a year to power 108 million unused machines. In 2009, these unused PCs are expected to emit approximately 20 million tons of carbon dioxide, roughly the equivalent impact of 4 million cars.

DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar have announced that they will invest EUR 2.2 billion (US $3 billion) in building the first 630-megawatt (MW) phase of the London Array offshore wind farm in England's Thames Estuary. The wind farm is set to be build the world's largest offshore wind farm. The consortium hopes the first phase of 630 MW will be completed and generating in 2012. The first phase will consist of 175 turbines. The announcement comes after the UK Government's recent proposal to increase its support for offshore wind power. The partners are satisfied that the project is now financially viable and are now keen to push ahead with construction and to produce the first renewable power in 2012. Onshore work is now due to start in the summer, with offshore work due to start in early 2011.

The world's first floating wind turbine is to be towed out to sea this weekend. Statoil's Alexandra Beck Gjorv told the BBC the technology, the Hywind, to be put off Norway's coast - "should help move offshore wind farms out of sight". And it could lead to offshore wind farms eventually being located many miles offshore, away from areas where they cause disruption, Ms Gjorv added. This would benefit military radar operations, the shipping industry, fisheries, bird life and tourism.

The number of wind turbines is set to quadruple over the next decade under government plans to force through wind farm planning applications. Ministers have put wind power at the heart of a Renewable Energy Strategy, which is due to be released on Wednesday. It will outline how Britain is to meet its target of a 34 per cent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020.

Forties Oilfield, located in the UK Licence Block 21/10, approximately 140 miles north-east of Aberdeen in the UK sector of the North Sea, was discovered by British Petroleum (BP) in October 1970. The platforms at the field include Forties Alpha, Forties Bravo, Forties Charlie, Forties Delta and Forties Echo.

The European Commission has given the UK Government the go ahead to offer EDF a guaranteed price per unit of electricity generated for a 35-year period for the purpose of incentivising investment. Ever since it was first proposed in October 2013, the proposed deal between the UK government and French nuclear power company EDF for the financing of a new nuclear plant has courted controversy.

Lehenga style sarees are the latest fashion trend. Apart from India, the popularity of online wedding lehenga sarees in UK is also increasing with every passing day.

While sub-Saharan Africa has seen robust economic growth, access to electricity is lagging behind. Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna has called on British industry to support the development of renewable energy in Africa, highlighting the economic value of establishing a firm base in the continent.

The UK Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers have replaced the Type 42 destroyers, which were in service since 1978. Six Type 45 destroyers were contracted. The requirement was for 12 vessels of the class, but the UK Ministry of Defence announced...

The upcoming UK general election promises to be the most unpredictable in decades, but how could it affect Britain's energy future? Labour's energy price freeze has sparked debate, but uncertainty and ambiguity is rife in British energy policy, threatening the country's transition to a low-carbon energy mix.

Andrew Mortimer CDE (ISTD) Training: Andrew was born in Leeds, UK and trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and the Yorkshire College

News: Number of tech jobs advertised in London is falling.

News: Acquisition will help Liberty expand its Latin American and Caribbean presence.