Implementation of Renewable Energy in the UK - Statistics Project Example

Renewable Energy in the U.K. Introduction Concerns over climate change coupled with high oil prices and increasing government support, are driving increasing rates of investment into the sustainable energy industries. Renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to sustainable energy development as they generally contribute to the security of global energy, through reducing the dependence on fossil fuel resources, thus reducing greenhouse gases. The following brief discussion will examine the implementation of renewable energy technologies in the U.K. Overall, the current situation in the U.K. progress is documented in the graph below: Source: Energy in Brief, 2009. The remainder of this discussion will focus on the implementation of solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power, tidal power and biofuels in the United Kingdom Solar power On November 26, 2010 the BBC announced that, “East Lindsey District Council has given permission for the installation near a windfarm in Conisholme. The panels, which could power about 250 homes, are expected to be fully operational by March.” (BBC News, 2010) The windfarm is to be constructed by Ecotricity. Ecotricitys website describes it as “an electricity company with a difference - were dedicated to changing the way electricity is made.” (“Ecotricity”) Solar power is only one of the renewables it is involved with. Neither the climate nor the location of the U.K. Facilitate generation of solar power and it is, consequently, a small factor in the energy production mix (only 1% of all renewables. However, as noted above small scale projects are being initiated. Also the UK government is focusing reducing “a building’s overall long-term carbon emissions by using design features that maximise free solar energy. This is known as ‘free solar gain’.” (“Free Solar Gain”) Additionally, Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh) is a world leader in solar power research. “Specific areas of expertise include building-integrated photovoltaics (PV), concentrating PV systems, flexible thin-film solar cells, dyes for solar cells, high-efficiency silicon solar cells, modeling of solar energy devices, solar thermal & spectral conversion.” (Heriot-Watt University) Wind power In 2008 wind power constituted slightly more than 10% of all renewables in the U.K. Energy mix. (national Statistics, 2010) In terms of overall energy production in 2000 wind power accounted for only 1.2% of all electricity generated in the U.K. In 2008 that figure had increased by 350% to 4.2% of all electricity generated in the U.K. (National Statistics (UK), 2010) Most importantly, the REA estimates that over 20% of that generating capacity was added in 2008 alone. Wind power is the principle focus of Ecotricity. It operates 32 wind parks and 141 turbines, that generate 236 MW of electricity and save an estimated 304,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. (Ecotricity). According to the REA, “The UK enjoys the best wind energy regime in Europe with 50 meter wind speeds over most of the country averaging above 5.5meters/second and much of the North and West over 7.5meters/second.” Consequently, the national energy plan predicts that by 2020 wind energy generation will increase from 3.4 GW annually to 24 GW, an increase of 700%. (REA) Wave power Wave power is a renewable energy source uniquely suited to the U.K. as a group of islands with more than 10,000 kilometers of coastline. This is particularly true of the north and northwest coasts where the Edinburgh Wave Power Group is located. It has been researching and testing wave generation since 1974. (Edinburgh Wave Power Group) The European Marine Energy Centre Ltd. (EMEC) is located in Orkney. (European Marine Energy Centre, Ltd) There Pelamis tested its P1A wave generator. The first project using the project was constructed in Portugal but the company has contracts in the U.K. Pending. (“Pelamis Wave Generating”) Wave power is a minimal part of the energy mix in the U.K. But it has the potential to play a much larger role and the U.K is a leader in wave power research and development. Tidal power The EMEC website provides a succinct outline of the process of generating tidal power: Tidal energy exploits the natural ebb and flow of coastal tidal waters caused principally by the interaction of the gravitational fields of the earth, moon and sun.... The tidal stream devices which utilise these currents are broadly similar to submerged wind turbines and are used to exploit the kinetic energy in tidal currents.... To increase the flow and power output from the turbine, concentrators (or shrouds) may be used around the blades to streamline and concentrate the flow towards the rotors. (EMEC) Again, as an island nation with over 10,000 kilometers of convoluted coastline tidal generation offers a great deal of potential to the U.K. That said, like wave power it is in its infancy. Together wave and tidal power currently only account for 1.8% of all energy generated by renewables in the U.K. (National Statistics (U.K.)) Geothermal power Geothermal energy production relies on the ongoing conduction of thermal energy (heat) from the molten core of the planet to the planetary surface. The International Geothermal Association (IGA) reports that 10,715 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power is expected to generate 67,246 GWh of electricity in 2010. (GEA) Traditional sources of geothermal energy are not available in the U.K. as they are in a country with volcanic activity such as Iceland. However, a 3-MW geothermal demonstration project is planned near St. Austell, Cornwall, sponsored by the Eden Project and European Geophysical Society (EGS) Energy Limited at £15 million” according to the May 2010, "Geothermal Energy: International Market Update". Eventually, according to the IGA geothermal energy could provide as much as 10% of all the electricity consumed in the U.K. (GEA) Biomass Biomass electricity generation constitutes the largest single source of renewable energy in the U.K. According to UK Energy in Brief, 2009 it amounted to 81.1% of all renewable energy produced in the U.K. In 2008. (National Statistics). The Department of Energy and Climate Change (U.K.) (DECC) has produced a succinct description of the conversion of biomass into energy: Biomass can be used to generate heat or electricity. Specifically, it can be combusted to produce heat for hot water and space heating, or to produce steam to drive a turbine and produce electricity. Alternatively, biomass can be digested or fermented to produce biogas or bio-liquids. The resulting biogas or bio-liquids can be combusted for heat and electricity. In the near future, biogas and bio-liquids could be further processed into synthetic natural gas (SNG) and fed into the UK’s gas grid. (“Biomass for Heat and Power”) According to the DECC website, the U.K.s approach to increasing the amount of biomass heat and electricity generated and used in the UK is set out in the Renewable Energy Strategy, launched on 15 July 2009. This strategy considers that around 30 percent of the UK’s overall 15 percent renewable energy target could come from biomass heat and electricity in 2020. (“Biomass for Heat and Power”) Conclusions Currently, biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.K, followed by wind power. The climate and location of the U.K. mean that solar power will never be a large part of the renewable energy mix. However, there is tremendous potential for growth in the areas of marine renewable energy production. This will include wave and tidal generation and also increases in wind power generation relying on offshore wind turbines and wind farms. References (Harvard) BBC News. (November 26, 2010). “Sun park approved for Conisholme field.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-11844786. Department of Energy and Climate Change (U.K.). “Biomass for Heat and Power”. http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/explained/bioenergy/heat_power/heat_power.aspx. Department of Energy and Climate Change (U.K.). “Free Solar Gain.” http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/explained/microgen/solar_gain/solar_gain.aspx. Ecotricity. http://www.ecotricity.co.uk. Edinburgh Wave Power Group. http://www.mech.ed.ac.uk/research/wavepower/. European Marine Energy Centre, Ltd. http://www.emec.org.uk. Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). (May 2010). "Geothermal Energy: International Market Update". http://www.geo-energy.org/pdf/reports/GEA_International_Market_Report_Final_May_2010.pdf. Herriot-Watt University. “Energy Institute: R & D Focus Areas, Solar Power.” http://www.energy.hw.ac.uk/business/busResearch.cfm?eaResearchArea=solarEnergy. National Statistics (U.K.). UK Energy in Brief, 2009. http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/publications/brief/78-energyinbrief2009.pdf. Pelamis Wave Generating. http://www.pelamiswave.com/. Renewable Energy Association (REA). http://www.r-e-a.net/. European Union. (2010). “United Kingdom – Renewable Energy Fact Sheet”. http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/doc/factsheets/renewables/renewables_uk_en.pdf. Read More