Scotland’s energy efficiency industry has told the Scottish government that it could create 9,000 jobs by establishing a “clear direction of travel” through updated energy strategies.

A new off grid solution has been launched combining solar PV, energy storage and rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging to offer remote access to EV charging without the need to improve local energy infrastructures.

Energy company Drax has confirmed it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire Opus Energy – one of the UK’s largest business energy suppliers – for a conditional sum of £340 million.

Technology giant Google has said it will be powering all of its operations with renewable energy by next year, and has committed to taking its pledges even further by supporting new technologies in the coming years.

A new survey of senior IT professionals across both SMEs and larger enterprises has found a major disparity in attitudes towards sustainability, with just a third of SMEs viewing environmental issues as important compared to 74% of large enterprises.

Centrica is to launch a £19 million pilot project which will assess the development of a virtual energy marketplace with renewables and storage at its heart.

Birmingham and Luton airports have received new electric vehicle (EV) charging points as a result of a new partnership between Airparks and UK manufacturer POD Point.

More than 160 NGOs, public institutions and businesses – including major brands such as Sainsbury’s and IKEA – have come out in support of solar over proposed increases to rateable values.

UK-based manufacturers could improve their output by as much as £2.56 billion by 2025 – and boost the UK’s international competitiveness – by investing more in energy efficiency technologies, Barclays has claimed.