RENEWABLE ENERGY IN UK
Introduction
Renewable energy is energy which is not depleted with use. It has many advantages over other sources of energy since it is friendly to the environment and there is no fear of energy depletion in the future. It is a sustainable source of energy and does not lead to adverse environmental effect compared to non-renewable sources of energy. The UK is one of the countries in the world which have implemented a number of projects which are aimed at supplying the country with renewable energy. United Kingdom has long relied on the non-renewable sources of energy which has created a lot of fear on the ability of the country to sustain its energy needs in the future. Working under the framework proposed by the European Union, United Kingdom has implemented several renewable energy programs not only as a way of diversifying its energy sources but also to curb the growing problem of environmental pollution. The European Union has set a target of reducing global emission by at least forty five percent as one of its strategies to fight the growing problem of environmental pollution. This paper will look at the various clean energy initiatives that have been implemented in the UK, but first, it is important to understand in details what it is and why is renewable energy so needed.
What is renewable energy and why is it being implemented
In our everyday life, humans use energy in different ways. Energy has become an indispensable commodity in our daily life. However the current sources of energy, which are basically based on crude oil, have met our needs but on the other hand polluted our environment (United Nations Environmental Programme, 2007). Global warming, which is caused by emission of green house gases in the environment has become a major challenge in the 21st century world. This has been the main driving force behind the increase search for cleaner sources of energy which will provide the world with clean energy and at the same time save our environment. As a member of the European Union, UK has been implementing directives which have been aimed at providing at least fifteen percent of its primary energy from renewable sources by 2020. This directive has been put in place to support other EU measures especially on reduction of green house gases emission. Apart from implementing the EU directive, the country is also looking into the possibility of providing her population with energy security in the future (McCarthy, 2009). The memories of the 1970s energy crisis are still fresh in peoples mind and considering the current state of fossil fuel market which is controlled by OPEC cartel it is paramount for any country to be self-sufficient in energy.
In order to understand the renewable energy sources that are already being implemented in the country, it would be important to look into the various projects that are currently going on in the country. It is also important to understand that there are other projects which have been facing serious implementation issues and hence they are yet to commence. The following are the main renewable energy projects that are currently being implemented in the UK
Photo Voltaic
Photovoltaic energy mainly involves the use of cells to produce electricity. The process so of electricity production through this method involves conversion of radiation which is produced by the sun to active direct current which can produce electrical energy. Photovoltaic energy is still under research to make it less expensive but proponents show that it has potential to produce a lot energy which can be used in homes and industries. In the UK, it has not been effectively explored despite its potential. It is expensive to set up and most investors may fear the high initial costs. It is estimated that the average cost of installation of solar electric panels ranges from 8,000 to 14,000 depending on the size of the solar panel (Energy saving trust UK, 2009). Therefore, there is need for the government to intervene in order to reduce the overall cost and provide the raw materials to produce cells. These efforts will mitigate the initial cost which has been a major limitation to its development. In the UK, the Energy saving trust has been in the forefront, especially in Scotland, to promote the use of photovoltaic cell energy (Energy saving trust UK, 2009).
Offshore wind
Offshore wind is among the most recent forms of energy which have been developed in the world. This source of energy is powered by offshore winds which have a lot of potential to drive turbines producing electrical energy. In the UK, there are currently a number of offshore wind farms. In 2005, UK commissioned more than four offshore wind farms with the government intervening to provide support levels of 1.5 ROCs per MWh under the Renewable Obligation (RO). Although offshore wind energy has been a successful source of energy in the UK, there is need for government intervention in order to mitigate some of the factors like cost, turbine designs, deep sea operations, and others which have inhibited the successful implementation of these projects. Offshore wind farms are likely to be major sources of energy for the UK in the future. Currently, there are several offshore wind firms which are being implemented in the UK including (BWEA, 2009)
Barrow located in Walney Island North East region. It has 30 turbines and produces 90 MW
Beatrice Located in Beatrice oilfield, Moray Firth in Scotland. It has 2 wind turbines and makes10MW
Kentish Flats Located 8.5 Km offshore of Whitstable in the South East region. It has 30 wind turbines and produces 90 MW
In total, there are 9 offshore wind farms which are currently in operation with a total of 228 wind turbines and product a total of 688.2 MW (BWEA, 2009). Many more have been approved and are under construction.
Wave Energy and Tidal energy
Wave energy has been cited as one of the viable sources of renewable energy in UK but it has not been implemented in the correct magnitude. Britain has 11,072 miles of coastline with tidal range that can be as higher as 50 feet, considered the second highest in the world. There are steps which are being taken to increase its overall contribution to the national energy grid. These include the 2 ROCs per MWh by the government (National Energy Foundation 2009). However, the government needs to do more in order to increase the overall amount of energy harvested from this source. This source of energy is preferred as it emits least carbon dioxide and is more sustainable. In the UK, there is Pelamis Wave powers P1A which have been used to establish a 3MW Pelamios based wave farm in Orkney (The renewable energy centre, 2009). There are other sites in Humber, Dee, Severn, and Solway Estuaries which have been identified as possible future sites. They will require approvement due to their projected environmental impact.
When it comes to tidal energy, there are two kinds of those. These are barrages and tidal streams. There are a number of barrages which have been implemented in the UK. For example, the Seven Estuary is one of the successful projects which have been implemented in the UK (Energy Resources, 2009). However, full implementation is inhibited by lack of proper planning and proper assessment, although this is projected to be a major source of energy in the future with estimates showing that it could generate more than 20 of the total energy needed in Britain (Tidal Energy, 2009).
Bio energy
Bio energy is widely used in different parts of the world. It can be developed from different sources but biomass has been identified as a viable source of bio-energy. With the current development, it is expected that the government may increase growth of Jatropa plants which are used to provide bio-energy (Nicholson, 2009). In 2004, more than 105.9 GWh were produced using bio-energy which shows the potentiality of this source of energy to supply future energy needs of the country (National Energy Foundation 2009). The strategy of micro generation mainly targets individual homes and businesses which can generate power to be self-sufficient. The UK government launched a strategy in 2006 which was aimed at assigning homes and businesses with rights to generate their own power, although the program is faced with funding issues (National Energy Foundation 2009).
Renewable energy defines the future sources of energy. It is preferred because it is friendly to the environment and sustainable in the long term. The UK government has embarked on implementation of various strategies to increase generation of renewable energy in line with EU policy on renewable energy. Currently, there are various renewable projects being implemented in the UK including offshore wind farms, micro-generation, tidal and wave energy, bio-energy and others.
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