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UtILItY WEEK | 6th - 12th March 2015 | 5 WatEr This week, the Solar Trade Association (Sta) unveiled its new logo and strategy, alongside an innovative solar-powered racing car called EVa. Introducing the strategy, Sta chairman Jan Sisson said the group will continually improve minimum standards and enhance the sector's reputation, as well as securing a more effective policy framework and resolving major grid barriers. the solar car was designed by students at cambridge University and will take part in the World Solar challenge in australia later this year. It uses solar cells to charge a lightweight lithium-ion battery and can reach speeds of more than 100km/h. Firms named for £2.3bn supersewer contracts Investor interest in the UK renew- able energy sector has fallen to its lowest level in 12 years because of policy uncertainty ahead of the May general election, according to EY's latest global renewables investment survey out this week. The report found that the UK's place in the renewables invest- ment attractiveness league table has slipped to eighth place behind India, from seventh in its last report. Canada and Japan stand in fih and fourth place, respectively, while the top three spots are held by China (first), the US (second) and Germany (third). Green investors losing faith in the UK Thames Tideway Tunnel last week revealed the main contractors expected to pick up contracts worth a total of £2.3 billion for the construction of the London supersewer. The preferred bidder for the west section of the project, worth £300-£500 million, is BMB, a joint venture between BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty Group. The contract for the central section, worth £600-£900 million, is expected to be awarded to Flo, a joint venture between Ferrovial Agroman UK and Laing O'Rourke Construction. Finally, the eastern section contracts, worth £500-£800 million, have been extended to CVB, a joint venture between Costain, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche. The contracts are expected to be awarded in the summer, at which time Thames Tideway will reveal the details of the infrastructure provider and investors in the project. Preliminary work on the tunnel is expected to start next year, with the main tunnelling operations starting in 2017 and completion set for 2023. Thames Tideway Tunnel chief executive Andy Mitchell said: "We have selected our preferred bidders to work on the three main works packages because we have absolute faith in their ability to carry out these major pieces of work safely, considerately and sustainably, and we are looking forward to working with them to offer the thousands of jobs that will help make this project a reality." The supersewer was granted a development consent order in September last year and will run 25km along the River Thames between Acton and Abbey Mills treatment works. "An expensive mistake" Conservative MP and select committee chairman Tim Yeo said in a Westminster Hall debate that his party's tendency to turn away from onshore wind is a mistake in terms of affordability "Energy efficiency is the most important fuel we didn't know we had" Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg on the Lib Dems' plans to improve energy efficiency and promote renewable heat