A brand new, revolutionary outdoor gym that harnesses the power generated by those exercising and turns it into electricity has been unveiled in Hull.

The gym uses the power generated by the outdoor cardio equipment and converts it into useable electricity. The renewable energy generated is used to power lighting for the gym, extending the usable hours of the facility.

New research published by the Renewable Energy Association and Innovas reveals that the UK’s 12.5 billion renewables industry supports 110,000 jobs across the supply chain and could support as much as 400,000 jobs by 2020.

The report titled, ‘Renewable Energy: Made in Britain’, will be launched tomorrow on the eve of the Clean Energy Ministerial Summit.

Since the announcement that there are yet more feed-in tariff cuts on the forthcoming months, many solar companies are being approached by farmers who are keen to install 50kW of solar PV on 1/4acre of land or a barn roof before the rates are reduced on July 1.

From April 1st all householders requesting to receive feed-in tariff (FiTS) for solar PhotoVoltaic installations will have to make sure that their houses are properly insulated first and that this is reflected on their Energy Performance Certificates (EPC's) with a minimum level D.

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, this morning told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme listeners that Britain should increase its carbon emissions target to 30 percent – as long as the rest of Europe follows suit.

In news that will make life a lot easier for many solar PV installers, from April 6 this year, planning permission will no-longer be needed to install solar PV or solar thermal on non-domestic buildings. The new rules will also mean that ground-mounted systems up to 9m² will be able to go ahead without a planning application.

A combination of a dramatic fall in installation figures and a lower feed-in tariff rate have painted a bleak picture for the future of solar in the UK. CompareMySolar's Managing Director, Gertjan Van der Goot, digs a little deeper to see if returns at the lower feed-in tariff rate are as bad as they seem.

The Climate Change and Energy Minister, Greg Barker spoke of his aim to upgrade Britain’s leaky housing stock by using the Coalition’s Green Deal to enhance properties “kerb appeal” by transforming “energy efficiency from the image of dirty, dusty loft insulation to cosy living rooms and beautiful houses. From loft to living room and boring to bling.”

The Government has today announced plans to ensure the future of the Feed-in Tariffs scheme to make it more predictable. Transparency, longevity and certainty are at the heart of the new improved scheme.