Corporate Comms

Tough new bribery laws set to intensify scrutiny of industry

Words: Catriona Munro

The scourge of bribery and corruption traverses industries and markets like no other. However, against an eclectic backdrop of intensifying international competition and heavy R&D investment, coupled with a patchwork of regulation, the renewables energy sector could be particularly exposed to such threats. PES examines a new law that could potentially have massive ramifications for any European business with the slightest connection to the UK.

To clamp down on such practices, across all sectors, the United Kingdom is soon to follow the lead of other countries by introducing tough new legislation, which will apply both at home and abroad. The long-awaited Bribery Act 2010 will force organ

When it comes to wind turbines and winning the public relations charm offensive, offshore is definitely the way to go. The very nature of siting wind turbines out at sea ensures there are fewer objections from protesters, environmental pressure on the brownfield sites of Europe is considerably eased and, most importantly, higher and more constant wind speeds offshore mean higher efficiencies.

As with life generally, there is of course a price to pay for the advantages of building offshore wind farms and for every bonus there is a potential downside. Recent industry figures, for instance, point to potential spiralling repair and maintenance costs, particularly for Europe's growing flotilla of offshore installations. The figures suggest some 600 turbines at 13 wi

Victoria Kenrick of international sustainable recruitment specialist, Allen & York explores current trends within the wind energy sector; including an in-depth look at where the latest job roles exist within Europe, which job types are on the increase and the transferable skills that exist for professionals wanting to make their career move into the industry.

Europe has a challenge ahead, in terms of renewable energy targets. Many governments have signed-up to a commitment which states that by 2020, 20 per cent of energy production will come from renewable sources. It's quite a target for any government to achieve, but in a climate where purse strings are being tightened, this challenge is ever more complex. However, the UK in particular has made incred

With many European nations embarking on smart metering programmes, Duncan Sinclair of Redpoint Energy examines the ways in which advanced meters can be used to combat the highly variable output of intermittent energy sources such as wind.

In January 2011 the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) announced that Europe is set to beat its target of drawing 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and that wind energy is now powering five per cent of total energy generation across the region.

The renewable energy strategies being implemented are a key part of each nation's decarbonisation agenda, which seek to reduce CO2 emissions. Many have ambitious short-term targets for incorporating renewable sources into the energy mix,

Redpoint Energy consultants Marc Daube and Edmund Phillips explore some of the potential consequences of the rapid growth in solar capacity on Europe's power markets.

First of all: the result of the quality process
The solar photovoltaic market has seen rapid growth in Europe. According to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, total installed solar PV capacity reached 40 Gigawatts (GW) globally last year. This has the potential to generate sufficient electricity for more than 10 million households. The total was reached after 17 GW of new capacity was added during the year, of which the EU accounted for more than 13 GW. This rapid growth in Europe is largely attributable to Germany, which is pushing for aggressi

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