Wind power on the up as UK increases reliance upon renewable energy
January 27, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Those who champion the generation of renewable energy in the UK have received a boost in the form of the news that firstly, wind power is now providing almost half of the nation’s renewable electricity; and, secondly, almost 10% of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources.
Figures released by the government show that 2010 was, all in all, a fantastic year for the renewable energy sector, with the statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) clearly showing that the UK is extremely well placed to meet, and even exceed, the targets set for 2020.
These targets handed the UK the ambitious aim of generating a third of their electricity from renewable sources by that target date and, with the rate at which the sector has grown over the past 12 months, there seems to be no reason why the targets shouldn’t be greeted with optimism.
In the third quarter of 2010, the contribution from wind power increased by a total of 37% when compared to the same quarter in 2009, with wind power now the UK’s leading renewable technology for delivering actual units to the grid.
Whilst the news is undoubtedly positive for the renewable energy sector, challenges certainly do remain. Solar power, for example, experienced one of its toughest years during 2010, with the global recession preventing the widespread roll-out of some solar power schemes.
However, with wave energy also receiving a boost during 2010 and geothermal power experiencing solid growth throughout the year, there is reason for optimism across the industry.
Electricity market to receive shake-up
January 20, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Energy and climate secretary, Chris Huhne, has revealed government plans to reform the energy market in the UK in order to allow the nation to make significant steps towards ensuring that reliance upon clean energy becomes the norm over the next twenty years, as well as ensure that the target set for Britain of cutting emissions by a total of 34% is achieved within the next ten years.
If government plans to transform the energy sector, which include around £110 billion of investment to be used to build new power stations and upgrade existing grids, are a success, low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy will become the primary form of energy generation by the year 2030.
It is thought that renewable technologies which have so far not received too much funding or been the focus of intense research will be one of the focuses of the government’s ambitious plans; energy saving devices designed to help Brits cut back on the amount of energy they use on a daily basis will also receive significant support in order to make them more widespread features of modern society.
Huhne, whilst revealing the nature of the plans, stated that the government realise they have a “once in a generation chance to rebuild” the electricity market and are planning to make “cleaner, greener power” the affordable choice for the future. However, criticism, as with most moves made by the current coalition government, has been quick to attach itself to the plans, with some suggesting that consumers will bear the brunt of the proposals through higher energy bills in the short term.
Waitrose planning to install electric charging stations
January 20, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Waitrose have taken the brave step of becoming one of the first major names in British retailing to put their faith in the predicted increase in popularity of electric cars over the next five years or so, installing a number of electric vehicle charging points at some of its stores across the country.
The DualCharge posts, capable of charging two cars at the same time, will allow consumers to fill up their cars whilst shopping in the store, no doubt a trend that the supermarket giant is keen to encourage as it seeks to take full advantage of installing the points by reaping the rewards from potential increased in-store profits.
With the government looking to make eco-friendly options attractive and accessible to everyone in the country, Waitrose’s decision will come as a major boost for their hopes of electric vehicles one day becoming the norm in the UK. The government has already introduced a subsidy for those wishing to purchase electric cars, so they will surely be hopeful that more companies can jump on the bandwagon and provide more incentives for consumers to go green.
The Concessions Manager for Waitrose announced that they were all too happy to try to “reduce carbon emissions and pollution” in order to benefit the wider communities of which their stores are a part, whilst continuing to provide a “valuable” service for their existing customer base.
Whether it turns out to be the case that Waitrose really are the pioneers in what will grow to become an established trend in Britain remains to be seen.
