WHY WE MUST PRODUCE ENERGY AT A LOCAL LEVEL

When we consider the future of energy, we’re moving towards more vehicles powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels, and more electric heating rather than gas, so it’s clear that we’re going to need a lot more electrical energy.

In a few short years, it’s likely we’ll be using ten times as much electricity per household as we do now.

That means developers building a new housing estate, university or school in a town or village not only need to be able to generate ten times as much energy at any given time, but also consider how to deliver it into and out of the area. Towns would need to upgrade their infrastructure, cables and sub-stations, which could cost millions.

So where will this energy come from? We already know that vast, polluting power stations which rely on coal and other fossil fuels are becoming redundant on a number of different levels.

From 2050, our goal as a country is to reach a Net Zero target, meaning that none of our energy must come from fossil fuels on a disposable basis.

Governments around the world are divesting from coal-powered plants and investing in renewable energies. In the UK, that’s going to form an essential part of meeting our climate change agenda, now and into the future.

That’s why we need to consider how we’re going to deliver more power, as well as generating it – which invariably leads to one clear conclusion; we need more solar.

Solar energy is by far the most convenient and cost-effective renewable energy which can be easily added onto most buildings to generate power locally.

Combined with battery storage and smart technologies, it offers us a clear model for a sustainable future where clean power is not only generated locally but delivered within a short radius and exported to communities within our regions.