Electricity markets are changing. Across Europe they will have to adapt to deliver increasing amounts of electricity from renewable sources, new interconnections across Europe and beyond are needed, and they must ensure a secure, affordable and sustainable electricity supply for all of Europe’s electricity consumers.

Electricity markets of the future is the hot topic of a high-level conference taking place in Florence next week. On Thursday 8 October, decision-makers, businesses and associations alike will tackle questions including how energy markets can become even more flexible, and how they can be properly integrated across Europe.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is seeking your views on electricity market design. In a public consultation which remains open until 8 October, you can give your feedback.

Renewables outstripped coal as a source of electricity in the UK during a full quarter for the first time ever, government data published Thursday shows.

According to the report, a combination of higher wind speeds, more installed solar panels and a 19.5% increase in rainfall — which resulted in record output at hydroelectric power stations — all contributed to renewables accounting for over 25% of generation in the second quarter of 2015.

Gas-fired power stations provided the most electricity – 30% – with renewables second. Nuclear power was third with 21.5%, while coal fell back to fourth, with 20.5%.

According to industry body Renewable UK’s chief executive, Maria McCaffery, new technologies such as solar and wind power have now become Britain’s second largest source of electricity, generating more than a quarter of the nation’s needs.

“The new statistics show that Britain is relying increasingly on dependable renewable sources to keep the country powered up, with onshore and offshore wind playing the leading roles in our clean energy mix,” she noted in an e-mailed statement.

Howether, on a global scale, coal is expected to overtake oil consumption from 2017, according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) released in 2012.

Scotland will continue to offer Renewables Obligation (RO) guarantees for solar investments in the country, in order to eliminate energy uncertainty and boost investor confidence in solar developments.

This announcement by the Scottish Government is in contrast to a proposal by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which aims to end guaranteed support for large commercial solar rooftops and solar farms across England and Wales.

Scrapping of ‘grandfathering’ in the UK, expected to be in effect from April next year, will be applicable for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects below 5MW capacity.

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “The Scottish Government were not consulted on this matter prior to the consultation being published.

“I have written to the Secretary of State to express my concern about the impact of the proposal and disappointment at the UK Government’s failure to consult.”

The Scottish Government will retain the guarantee for the sector, according to Fergus Ewing who said the decision was made due to a need for ‘clarity and certainty’ in solar projects, in order to attract funding and reach a financial close.

Solar Trade Association Scotland chairman John Forster said: “This shows that the Scottish Government is fully committed to solar providing as much as possible of its 100% renewables target for Scotland.

“Solar projects in Scotland now know what level of support they are going to get, and that they will get it for the full 20 years.

“It won’t be possible to cut support for Scottish projects down the line in, for example, year 15 of 20.“

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has selected Balfour Beatty Equitix Consortium as the preferred bidder to own and operate the offshore transmission link of the 220MW Humber Gateway wind project in the UK.

Selection of Balfour Beatty Equitix Consortium, which consists of Balfour Beatty Investments and Equitix, concludes the third bidding round for the offshore transmission owner (OFTO) projects.

The potential agreement for the offshore project will entitle the consortium to be in control of its operations for 20 years.

The £700m ($1.17bn) wind project, located in the North Sea around 8km from the coast of East Yorkshire, features 73 wind turbines that can meet the energy requirements of around 170,000 homes in the UK.

E.ON started generating power from the facility in June this year.

Transmission assets for the offshore project, which have been set-up and are presently owned by E.ON Climate and Renewables UK Humber Wind, has an estimated value of £173.3m. The assets will be handed over to the OFTO at licence granting.

Since its introduction to the UK by Ofgem and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in 2009, the offshore transmission regime has offered investment of nearly £2.6bn.

Completion of tender round three is expected to deliver £350m for consumers.

German conglomerate Siemens has secured an order from Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HDEC) to deliver three generator switchgears for a $1.17bn Sarulla geothermal power project in Indonesia.

Located in Tapanali Utara in the North Sumatra province, the power project will have three Siemens type HB3-80 switchgears, each with a 100MVA output, 12kV voltage and a rated current of 5,000A.

Under terms of the contract awarded to Siemens, the firm is expected to supply the first switchgear this September, for the plant presently under construction.

The remaining two switchgears, to be manufactured in Germany, are scheduled for delivery in June 2016.

Siemens’ HB3-80 generator switchgear is a single-phase, encapsulated tool claimed to eliminate the risk of short circuits between phases, to offer the utmost operating reliability and improved personnel safety.

Sarulla Operations (SOL) is the owner and operator of the geothermal project, and the company is a joint venture of PT Medco Energi International (27.5%), with Ormat 12.75%, Itochu 25%, and Kyushu Electric 25%.

HDEC acts as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the power project and is expected to complete its construction by 2018.

Commissioning of the geothermal power plant, claimed to be the largest of its kind in Indonesia, will be carried out in phases.

While the first stage of the project will be operational from 2016, the second and third phases are likely to start in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Once operational, the project will have an annual power generation capacity of 351MW, which will be purchased by state-owned electricity firm Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

In 2014, SOL selected Toshiba to deliver three 60MW geothermal steam turbines and generators (STG) for the project.

Green energy firm Mainstream Renewable Power has signed a grid connection agreement for a wind project in Ghana and started construction of two wind farms in South Africa.

The grid connection agreement was signed for the 225MW Ayitepa wind farm in Ghana, construction for which is expected to start early next year.

The wind power plant will involve an investment of $525m and can meet up to 5% of Ghana’s electricity requirements once operational.

Mainstream development manager for Africa Liam Leahy said: “It is the first renewable energy grid connection agreement in Ghana to date and will hopefully set the precedent for many more over the coming years.”

The firm also broke ground for developing the Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms in South Africa, which will have a combined generation capacity of 280MW.

Located side by side in the Hantam municipality at the country’s Northern Cape region, the wind projects are expected to involve an investment of ZAR7bn ($511.8m).

The projects have been scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2017, and will be equipped with wind turbines manufactured by Siemens.

Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa is responsible for both construction and operations of the facilities, which are part of the South African government’s Round 3 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP).

The UK is set to reject construction of the 970MW Navitus Bay offshore wind project over concerns about the jurassic coast losing its UNESCO World Heritage status.

While the project developers are seeking planning permission for the work, authorities are expected to reject the proposal.

Refusal by the ministers follows ‘an unprecedented recommendation by the Planning Inspectorate that permission should be refused,’ reports The Telegraph.

Dutch energy group Eneco Holding and French EDF’s green energy unit have a 50:50 share in the project through Navitus Bay Development consortium.

The offshore project was initially expected to have 121 turbine installations for a 970MW power generation capacity, and 78 turbines under a Plan B to have 630MW capacity.

Critics of the project argue that the turbines, which are expected to reach a height of 650ft, will ruin the views, affect tourism, and may result in loss of the jurassic coast’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The project has encountered unexpected controversies and has had more objections submitted to the Planning Inspectorate than any other offshore windfarm to date, the news daily said.

If operational, the project could meet the energy requirements of nearly 700,000 UK households. It is expected to deliver up to £1.6bn as economic benefit for the region, and create up 1,700 jobs during construction.

Navitus Bay project director Stuart Grant was quoted by The Telegraph as saying: “We believe in the strength of our proposal, which showcases how Navitus Bay would make an important contribution to the local economy and to the UK’s renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.“

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has revealed planning decisions for six wind power projects in Wales, with four having been denied permission.

The four rejected projects are Llanbadarn Fynydd, Llaithddu, Llanbrynmair and Carnedd Wen. These onshore wind energy schemes were expected to have a combined capacity of more than 300MW of power.

A DECC spokesperson said: “Careful consideration has been given to each application, and the planning and energy issues involved.”

The authority has also rejected the proposal for the Llandinam to Welshpool Substation overhead power line connection.

Consent has only been given for the Llandinam onshore wind farm repowering project. According to Welsh renewable energy trade association RenewableUK Cymru, the repowering project is likely to struggle without the substation.

Earlier in the year, the DECC announced a subsidy cut for new onshore wind developments in the country. The limitations, which are expected to be implemented from April next year, have cut prospects for more than 2,500 wind turbine installations in Wales, amounting to 7.1GW of production capacity.

RenewableUK Cymru director David Clubb said: “Given the blows the UK Government are raining down onto the renewable energy sector on both consents and subsidies, ministers will be heading to the Paris climate discussions with their credibility in tatters.“

Lightsource, one of Europe’s biggest players in solar photovoltaic (PV) farms, is understood to be planning to invest €500m to develop solar farms across Ireland.

The company aims to work with farmers, as well as property owners such as factories and retail outlets, to boost sustainable electricity generation in Ireland.

Lightsource believes that with the proper incentives, solar energy can generate 1.5GW of generating capacity by 2020.

This is enough sustainable and clean electricity to power more than 495,000 local households, easily meeting more than 5pc of Ireland’s electricity demand.

Lightsource, which is incorporated in the UK, is one of the leading generators of solar PV energy in Europe and one of the top-10 globally.

It employs 350 people full-time and has a growing office in Dublin.

“We are excited by the opportunity for solar power in Ireland. Lightsource is committing significant financial investment and resources towards realising this opportunity,” said Nick Boyle, Lightsource’s CEO and a native of Antrim.

“Any risks associated with the development of these solar projects, including installation costs, will be borne by Lightsource. This commitment will not only add to sustainable electricity generation in Ireland, it will also strengthen the local economy and supply chain.

“Our ground-mounted solar projects will provide much-needed land diversification for farming enterprises, and our rooftop systems will enable schools, businesses and community buildings to reduce overhead costs. It really is a win-win for local communities,” Boyle said.

Ireland’s renewable energy imperative

By 2030, 27pc of Ireland’s energy will need to come from renewable sources, according to the Government.

Over the coming months, the European Union will announce new renewable energy targets for member states.

In its report published in February, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland said Ireland’s 2013 renewable energy production contributed 7.8pc of the country’s final energy demand, putting Ireland almost halfway towards the target of 16pc by 2020 set under the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive.

The Government will shortly publish a new Energy Policy 2015-2030.

Last month, US President Barack Obama announced a major climate change plan and called on energy users to shift from traditional fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives, including solar power.

German power giant RWE is close to signing a financing deal with three partners for the $2bn Galloper offshore wind park project in the UK.

Siemens and UK Green Investment Bank are likely to be among the chosen partners, reports Bloomberg.

Reuters quoted RWE Innogy chief executive Hans Buenting as saying: “The plan is to have a deal in autumn, either October or November.”

RWE Innogy is the renewable energy unit of RWE.

The planned development, which is located 27km away from the Suffolk coast of eastern UK, is expected to have a generation capacity of 336MW.

UK-based utility SSE, which was the initial partner for the Galloper project, had dropped out last year in order to cut costs.

This action prompted RWE to seek other partners in order to share the project costs and reduce its stake, then at 37.5%, to 25%.

According to RWE spokesperson Judith Erb, the final investment decision for the offshore project is likely to be disclosed as early as October.

Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicate that the facility will have the capacity to meet the power requirements of 200,000 to 300,000 households in the UK.

RWE, which has a capacity totalling around 50GW, has been forced to reduce its wind and solar investments and shutdown its nuclear units in Germany, in order to cope with the drop in energy prices.