Scotland is aiming to position itself as a low carbon technologies hub by 2020 after first minister Nicola Sturgeon today announcing a £60 million Innovation Fund to support battery storage and other low carbon energy infrastructure.

It’s now less than a month until the doors of Birmingham’s NEC open to visitors attending Solar & Storage Live, the UK’s flagship exhibition and conference for solar, storage and smart technology

Nottingham City Council has begun putting its recently awarded funding for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) to use in a programme ranging from the installation of 230 fast and rapid chargers to the UK’s first ULEV dedicated lane.

Pressure is continuing to mount on the UK’s distribution network operators (DNOs) after a report from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think-tank has claimed their profit margins added £10 billion to consumer bills in a six-year period.

Smart charging can be used to provide the flexibility needed to manage the growing demand on local grids prompted by rising take-up of electric vehicles, according to the initial findings of a landmark study.

Green Hedge, a UK renewable energy developer that has diversified into battery energy storage systems, has had an application for a 40MW project approved by local authorities in Derbyshire.

One of the largest rooftop solar installations in the UK is to add a Tesla battery in what is thought to be the first UK project to use a commercial array to charge an energy storage system to avoid grid charges and provide ancillary services.

Energy network companies have unveiled plans to join forces and develop joint network innovation strategies across gas and electricity, with the latter seeking to create new opportunities in battery storage, renewable generation and other developing technologies.