Increasing the UK's Supply of Renewable Energy

The Government of the United Kingdom has set itself an ambitious target under which, by the year 2020, 30 per cent of its electricity will be generated from renewable sources. But what progress has been made towards this goal, and what future plans are in place?

As fossil fuel supplies diminish and concerns grow over climate change, we examine the UK Government’s renewable energy options, and the steps taken so far. The Government’s intention is to generate 30 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

As part of the government's push for renewable energy, electricty and gas suppliers such as npower and RWE have begun to make significant investments in renewable and alternative energy sources. Most electricity companies also now offer a 'green tariff', providing customers with electricity matched to 100% renewable sources. These tariffs are often specifically designed in conjunction with OFGEM and most make a commitment to additionally invest in green projects.

All statistics are as of August 2011.

Wind power

Use of wind energy is a hugely controversial topic. Many people consider wind turbines to be a blot on the landscape. But undoubtedly the UK makes less use of wind energy than many European countries, despite being Europe’s windiest country. Only 2.8 per cent of the UK’s electricity comes from wind power, compared to as much as 24 per cent elsewhere. Globally, the use of wind energy is growing rapidly, and while turbines need an average wind speed of 7 metres per second to work effectively, many areas of the UK, such as western Scotland, have an almost constant supply of wind.

Data from Renewable UK shows 308 wind power sites, while 37 projects are currently under construction. Planning consent has been received for a further 237 sites and another 305 are proposed.

Biomass

Biomass energy is generated from burning or fermenting materials such as wood, straw and crops. It can be used to generate electricity, heat and motive power, and is seen as a vital alternative source of transport fuel.

A number of mostly small-scale biomass plants have opened in the UK since 2005. In some cases existing power stations have been converted to burn wood instead of coal.

Biomass facilities can give rise to significant concerns over local pollution. Anti-biomass campaigners have also pointed out that the UK only produces a small percentage of the amount required to keep its biomass facilities running, and that hence most of the biomass needs to be imported. It has also been claimed that burning biomass actually releases more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels.

Solar power

This involves the use of solar (photovoltaic) panels to convert sunlight into energy. Solar panels have appeared on a variety of residential and commercial buildings in recent years, and the UK Government has provided a series of incentives for homeowners and businesses to adopt solar technology.

Until 2010, the Government offered grants for solar installations under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Similar grants may still be available on a regional basis, while the Government now offers solar feed-in tariffs, under which the homeowner receives a payment for each kilowatt hour of electricity generated, whether or not this energy has actually been used in the residence.

Wave power

Little use has been made so far of the power of the waves when generating electricity. The world’s first experimental wave farm was only opened in 2008, off the coast of Portugal. But the Scottish Government intends to build the world’s largest wave farm off its northern coast.

Tidal power

Again this technology is in its infancy. A small tidal project is in operation at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, and Scotland also has plans in this area, with 10 sites in the Orkney area identified as potential tidal installation sites. The UK’s island status means there is enormous potential to use the power of the waves and tides.

Hydroelectric power

Here water from a lake or river is channelled through a turbine to generate electricity. Systems are very efficient, with over 70 per cent of the water energy converted into electricity, and continuous energy is provided, unlike certain other technologies.

Hydroelectric schemes in the UK range from very small local installations to much larger sites. 85 per cent of the UK’s hydroelectric resource is in Scotland, but the largest project is at Dinorwig in North Wales. It is one of the most common forms of renewable energy in the UK, with 35 per cent of electricity generated via this method, but little in the way of major new installations are planned.

The author of this article is part of a digital blogging team who works on behalf of brands and business like npower - The content contained in this article is for information purposes only.