Green Energy Blog

Polls show UK supports renewable energy initiatives.

A recent opinion poll has suggested that the majority of people in the UK have shown that they regard the Government subsidies for wind power development as a good deal.

The poll was commissioned by trade body RenewableUK, and it concluded that 43% of people see the UK subsidy as good value for money against 18% of people who do not.

Another survey carried out recently has also shown a large majority of people are in favour of renewable energy.

These results have been well timed and have arrived just ahead of the Clean Energy Ministerial a summit that will bring ministers from more than 20 different countries to London to talk about low-carbon energy.

The survey is the most recent signal of strong public backing for renewable energy, the signal is further strengthened by the YouGov poll for Scottish Renewables that found 71% of Scots were in support of wind power, and a separate survey last week that showed as many as 67% of respondents were in favour of increasing the use of wind power.

At the moment as little as 9.5% of electricity in the UK is from renewable sources. Because of this relatively low number Friends of the Earth is worried that the government is doing more to encourage a "dash for gas" by making gas-fired power plants exempt from the emissions restrictions that other plants face.

These polls are the most recent moves by those in the renewable energy sector to retaliate against what is seen as the Treasury’s “anti-green” movement.

The Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has came out strong in his defence of a push for a "renewables revolution" this is flying in the face of criticism from US businessman and celebrity opposer of wind farms Donald Trump, who has regularly been quoted bemoaning  plans to build a number of offshore turbines near his new Aberdeenshire golf course.

UK makes the Top 10 Solar suppliers.....

Even with all the uncertainty surrounding the feed-in tariff High Court decisions, it’s not all bad news for solar energy in the UK.

For the first time ever the UK’s solar industry has forced its way into the worlds top 10. This is believed to be at least partly due to the Government incentives which have managed to give a real push to solar panel sales as more and more people try to take advantage of the generous feed-in tariff rate.   

Even with the uncertainty facing the scheme at the moment – the UK is still producing massive amount of solar energy and contributing to the combined worldwide total of 23.8GW. 2011 was a big year for solar with a 1,273% increase in solar installations compared to 2010, this was made up of nearly 700MW of smaller sized installations completed along with around 200MW of large-scale developments greater than 50kW.

That data gathered by specialist research company HIS, the actual league table for ‘photovoltaics’ has Italy in the number 1 spot and Germany in number 2. Germany has seen a 20% reduction in solar installs since they reduced their feed-in tariff last year.

 

In 3^rd place is the United States, followed by China, Japan and France. In a respectable 7^th place the UK has entered the table with total generation into 800MW.

The US completes the top three, followed by China, Japan and France. With a total well into 800MW, the UK moves into seventh spot globally.

It is great news for the UK to be getting recognised for their support of solar power and hopefully it will inspire even more countries to do the same. After all with the current feed-in tariffs solar power offers a lot of benefits to businesses and homeowners, not to mention the fact it’s doing a great job of reducing our dependency upon fossil fuels.

 

Orkney Islands are the envy of Europe

The Orkney Islands have long been defined by their weather and harsh conditions, and these days things are no different there’s still few trees or crops and the weather is still pretty dismal. However as shown time and again the harshest conditions can bring the greatest innovations.

The Orkneys have found themselves home to a generation of eco-pioneers intent on using the uniquely harsh weather found around the Orkneys to produce renewable energy. So even though the islands are on the outskirts of Britain they are at the heart of what is making the UK a global leader in the race for renewable energy technology.

The renewable industry is bringing life back to these islands with new jobs, growing communities and a strong supply chain. Companies like the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are huge in the wave and tidal sector. In fact they are one of the few companies to offer developers the opportunity to test full scale prototypes in the sea. Not to mention the fact that these companies are now employing graduates from the islands and allowing existing businesses to grow.

A large part of the success can be attributed to the support of the local people, who are definitely on board with the exciting new direction their islands are taking. It would appear that things are definitely looking bright for the Orkneys, with the promise of jobs, international investment and to cap it all a £3m investment in the old naval base should help to continue the growth of the Orkneys.

 

 

happy new year - electricity save 2011

 

Actually, it's the 10th of January already (...how did that happen so quick) - do we still say HNY this late in the month, or are we on to happy easter already??

 

In a bid to remind myself of what my main resolution for 2011 (clue: it's to do with reducing energy use), here's a list of linkage to sites that provide ideas for just that very goal:

 

energy saving trust -

guardian newspaper's 'green living' blog

which? guide to saving electricity -

power scorecard

 

of course, like anything else, energy saving gets easier the more knowledge we have at our disposal. Consider an energy meter as well as using energy saving tips and you'll see where your energy savings are made, and where you can improve. These gadgets are becoming more and more widely available, and are a quantum leap forward from what was previously available.

 

 

 

Protect your Pipes

The recent cold snap across the UK has brought it sharply into focus just how important it is to make sure that your central heating installation and the whole system of pipes in your home has to be kept up to a high standard. I personally had a very lucky escape when my water stopped working, however I [just] got away with it as it soon started working again. Mind you it was exceptionally cold.

No it was just laziness on my part, and I should have been checking that everything as soon as the weather turned, but I was too busy trying to stay in my bed for that entire week, but I failed. After all we all have to get out and do things eventually. The press are now carrying items stating that it is due to get even colder around Christmas time, so preparations are in order.

It's quites simple you just makes sure that there is plenty of lagging around your pipes, or if you feel you need it you could call out an engineer to make sure your entire system is fully functioning, but at this time of year they are sure to be busy, after all if you haven't noticed yet it is quite cold outside, Wrap up.

Boiler Cover this Winter

Well it's that time of year when the nights begin to get much, much longer and the days accordingly much shorter. Yes it's nearly winter again and that sound in the background is the rumble of boilers grinding back to life for the first time in months.

I mention this because I recently came across an article in the Independent about what people should expect to get from boiler cover, and when it comes down to it do you want to be unprepared if your boiler suddenly packs in in the middle of December [or any other winter month], so if you are thinking of renewing your boilert cover, remember to check that you are covered for everything that you need.

1000 green jobs for Scotland

A couple of interesting news reports for you today:

the first is a report in energyhelpline.com that brings the welcome news of energy rebates for some UK pensioners. read the news here.

and the second is an interesting development as reported in today's Evening Times (Glasgow) - green energy company Scottish & Southern Energy are teaming up with Japanese giant Mitsubishi to work on a new green hi-tech centre of excellence, with 100 jobs being created.

Caroline Lucas - The First Green MP!

Watch the moment when Caroline Lucas was elected as an MP for the Brighton Constituency - the first member of the Green Party to do so!

Wind Turbines Sinking?

Just came across this report from that respected scientific journal The Daily Mail, reporting that a fault in the concrete used to fuse Dong Energy wind turbines to their steel housing has become warped and is causing them to sink into the sea!  This strikes me as most odd, surely the concrete should be of a standard that would last longer than this? 

It's really cold, where's your Global Warming now! Eh.......

Posting this mainly in repsonse to my friends/family, who have asked me the same question numerous times over the last few weeks...