In our latest blog series, we’ve been exploring how the government’s new Smart Export Guarantee might work. Whilst we know the guarantee will mean that solar panel owners can export surplus energy at the most advantageous times of day, we also need to think about developing mechanisms to capture and…
CREATING A COMPETITIVE MARKET FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY The government’s new plans to implement a Smart Export Guarantee for solar panel owners from 1st January 2020 could represent a significant step towards creating a cleaner, greener future. Unlike the previous Feed-In Tariff, the Smart Export Guarantee will see solar panel owners being…
Over the past decade, our use of electricity has become much less predictable. We have a lot more devices but they’re more energy efficient. Our homes are better insulated. And today, we have more households than ever producing their own energy through solar panels. This trend began with the introduction…
We are on the cusp of change and decisions on ‘who charges who, and what’ are a matter of significant ongoing discussion. ‘Charging Futures’ is a programme coordinating the reform of electricity access and charging arrangements in collaboration with users of Great Britain’s electricity network. It notes that the energy…
It could be argued that only the homeowners at the upper end of the social spectrum, and big businesses have the resources to choose renewable technologies. Often the less well-off, and smaller businesses do not have the freedom to make that choice. More renewable technology means more electricity will be…
In the UK, with our current centralised energy distribution system, consumers must pay a cost per unit (known as kilowatt hours or kWh) along with the costs associated with the production and distribution; some of which can be included in the kWh unit figures or a separate fixed standing charge.…
Renewable energy generating solutions like solar, wind and geothermal are gathering pace across the globe. However, the development of these technologies often requires government subsidies and incentives, which can raise questions of freedom, fairness, and equality. In simple terms not all communities have the freedom to choose renewable energy solutions.…
The recent influx of smaller energy companies is disrupting the market. There are now 60+ energy suppliers in the UK market – a fourfold increase compared to a decade ago. These energy providers have been credited with opening up competition in the energy space, leading to better deals for…
In 2017, the National Grid warned that by 2030, electric cars could require 3.5-8GW of additional capacity, on top of the current peak demand of 60GW. Another estimate suggests that if one in three cars sold in 2035 is electric, the charging of vehicles would account for 3% of…
To date, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports that demand for electricity has been pretty constant. In the 25 October[1] report detailing availability and consumption of electricity, ONS notes “Overall for the three-month period to August 2018, consumption in the industrial sector increased by 0.8 per cent compared to…
Shifts towards total electrification can be seen across buildings and transport, and this movement is gaining pace. Looking first at buildings – the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy released in 2017 [1] recommends “phasing out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating in both domestic and non-domestic buildings off…
Solar Installation and Brexit Solar is an essential pillar in the future of decarbonising British electricity, and there are some symbolic movements happening throughout the UK supporting green energy. However, on a national political level, the UK government is arguably ‘kicking the ball into the long grass’ when it…
