To wonder why we are not making Oxford’s new solar panels in the UK and they are being made in Brandenburg Germany

[Noras]

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=23b5c302cf261505&hl=en-gb&sxsrf=ADLYWIJ6tpfLH5-EPUgsgNls2BqSHyW9SQ%3A1732775126189&kgmid=%2Fg%2F1tg9s5mn&q=Next%20Generation%20Renewable%20Energy&shndl=30&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3

I have written to my MP on this as it seems crazy that as ever the UK devised this new tech not there is ZERO support from the Government here to help with manufacturing

Oxford PV actually went to the government found no support and set up in Germany I understand. It all seems a bit crazy but indicative of the UK’s complete lack of manufacturing.

https://www.oxfordshirelep.com/news/article/oxford-pv-sets-new-solar-cell-world-record

Oxford creates the new tech but decides to manufacture in Germany.

Why is our Gov not supporting this?

Presumably, this wasn't the current government?

It would have been one of the frequently changing previous governments, you’d need to ask them.

It possible that the company in Germany was already set up to manufacture these solar panels and could absorb the extra work. There may have been no company in the UK able to take this on either in terms of capacity or at a competitive price. Building an entirely new factory to do this would be expensive I imagine and prohibitive in terms of costs. I can't see anything in the link you sent about the manufacturing decisions and how they were made.

It says the facility in Brandenburg has been operating since 2017. Maybe it was more attractive to be in a country that still has full access to EU markets?

Also the level of business in Germany probably drives the supply chain and logistics planning to be there. I have three German colleagues who have all installed solar panels at their homes this year, and nearly every privately owned home in my village over the German border is plastered in them.

I believe that long ago the uk government (don't know which one) had the opportunity to invest in uk solar panel manufacturing capabilities. It was begged to by uk solar players, and it could have made us global players if not global leaders, but they refused and so now most are manufactured in china and elsewhere.

I know about this from someone who was involved. It really just makes me despair tbh.

So while I know nothing of this particular thing, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

Probably quite prophetic of them. Employing staff in the UK to run a private business has just got a lot harder and more expensive.

All the huge windturbines are made in China and Denmark. mostly China. How much does it cost to ship them here - doesn't bear thinking about. But we are all paying for that through our electric bills.

And as for all the jobs these windfarms will bring hahahahaha - once they are up they;re up. Often with foreign workers.

I ageee OP it’s madness.

Not unusual though as Silicon chips are designed at ARM
in Cambridge but manufactured elsewhere too.

globalisation? Which I’m not too keen on. Present and successive governments not wanting to invest in manufacturing in the U.K.
we are a service industry led country now which is very fickle.

achieving net zero seems to be such an obsession for the U.K. but I think the methodology is flawed; by the panels being manufactured elsewhere carbon costs are only attributed once to us, is that right?

You are 100% right
Not if or buts.
I do suppose it was the tories, but Labour should fight to get manufacturing hete in UK.
That fits within the growth and environment schemes.
We should also invest on wave power.
Make a government owned company out of it. 100% profit straight to the countries pocket.
There is so much technology out there that they are just ignoring, chaining us to petrol and diesel, with all the geopolitics and financial crisis associated to it. When we could gain our energy independance, create jobs and create wealth through the development of these technologies.

In Germany, employers' social security payments are 20-20% of salary. Employers' NI contributions in the UK will be rising to 15% following the Budget.

Also, in Germany there are strong protections against dismissal after six months' employment.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-device-generates-electricity-from-thin-air-180982263/

This is a reality. Found rather recently, but already people can make batteries with this concept.
It is just the water in the air around us hitting the sides of a pathway as they move through. If the width of the pathway is small enough ( nanotechnology sized), this created a charge. Charge = electricity if we get an electrode to catch it= battery that needs no charging, ever ( in the meantime there is moisture in the air)

Employing staff in the UK to run a private business has just got a lot harder and more expensive.

Wages and employer contributions are higher in Germany.

The problem is we have always failed to make capital investment. Germany has consistently maintained investment in physical assets & equipment for manufacturing.

In the uk a massive chunk of our "capital investment" in the private sector is made by banks and they are not investing in useful fixed assets like machinery. Its more likely to be software, or real estate.

I don't know anyone hiring at the moment. We aren't. I know many people who have laid off staff already. All due to Labour's budget. Thats the reality no matter what politicians claim. It's now a very bad environment for any new business unfortunately. Germany at least allows 6 months before full workers rights kick in. We've now got them on day one. No one in their right mind is going to hire staff unless they are 100% they need them. Why would you want to run a business here? Businesses will be closing down and already are.

Previous Tory government’s ‘ideological’ (personal political) opposition to meaningful long-term and green policies and the disaster that was/is Brexit is a big part in why the UK has squandered the opportunity to be a leader in this field.

I heard similar about the wave power research.
It is beyond sad.

Carrie was pretty gungho on environmentalism. That was one of the (many) reasons Boris Johnson was a disaster.

It's not going to work. The whole basis of Rach's big drive for growth in the economy is green technology so that's going really well if the green technology is buggering off to Germany.

It won't make much difference in 5-10 years when Chinese companies have 90% of the market anyway

It's as it always was and has been. This country is fantastic at inventing brilliant concepts and then other countries like the US make all the actual money from them.

Not quite. The carbon footprint of production and transport will be included in the UK’s carbon footprint as part of “Scope 3 emissions”.

Another tick in the win column for Brexit

👏

I expext this is because of the trade tariffs after Brexit. Germany can trade freely with the rest of the EU so that is a massive advantage.

The company says established in 2009. So labour before the last conservative.

Oh my goodness you have swallowed the lies - we do not have workers rights on day one - and will not get them, current plans are 12 months, like it used to be. It is more expensive to recruit in Germany than the UK. This isn’t this government’s making.