Can the new government accelerate the UK’s clean energy revolution? – Positive News

WITH energy Prices are expected to fall for the first time since 2022 and there will be election shocks Great Britain political landscape, could AND Will the clean energy revolution be back on the cards? Kit Dixon, the head of policy at Good Energy, a company dealing with 100% renewable energy sources, sees many reasons for optimism. He says they are easy and affordable ways a new government can transform our energy system and he even spotted a few climate-positive policies in the programmes of the main parties.

According to Dixon, the energy policies of the larger parties are mainly about the most important issues – system reform, net zero targets, offshore wind and hydrogen. And while it is critical that those responsible for the infrastructure of our energy system take full responsibility, Good Energy believes that local and personal change will also be key in the coming years. So what might political support for this change look like on a smaller scale?

One place to start could be the UK’s bare roofs. Buying our energy abroad has contributed to some of the rising costs from 2022. For Good Energy, decentralizing the system and investing in local solar energy is a sustainable and cost-effective solution. “Putting solar on rooftops makes sense because the electricity travels a shorter distance,” Dixon explains. “It takes advantage of space that would otherwise go unused and allows homes and businesses, and potentially their neighbors, to benefit.”

These kinds of green energy improvements could tie in with other areas where development is needed, such as housing. Take Labor’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. If developers were required to install solar panels on all buildings built, the impact could be huge: “By placing a typical 4 kW solar panel on each roof, this new capacity would provide about 5% of national electricity consumption,” Dixon says.

The new government does not have to undertake the transformation of our energy system alone. Suppliers also have an important role to play, and clever policy could encourage them. Growing demand for renewable energy sources energy over the last 25 years, suppliers have introduced green energy tariffs. Dixon says this is a step in the right direction, but better regulation could help increase the scale of renewable energy systems we will need to achieve key net zero targets: “The problem is that renewable energy certificates are not always directly linked to actually sold energy,” he says. “Suppliers can buy energy that could have been produced using fossil fuels on the wholesale market and then buy renewable certificates that will enable them to sell this carbon-intensive energy to customers as green.

“Another issue is that the certificates are valid for one year. Certificates generated by renewable energy generation during periods of very windy or sunny weather can therefore be used for ‘green’ electricity used during periods when most of the actual energy used is generated by gas-fired power stations. For example, a supplier could buy a certificate for solar generation on a Sunday afternoon in August, when electricity demand is low and solar generation is high. It could then use this certificate to tell the customer what electricity they are using in the dark and cold, and yet the December evening is renewable.” Dixon explain.

Part of what sets Good Energy apart from other energy suppliers is that they respond to consumer demand for green energy by “finding new renewable energy producers to contract by bringing additional power to the grid, rather than simply using what already exists,” explains Dixon. He and his colleagues would like to see policies requiring others to do the same. The resulting energy would be greener, but most importantly, the resulting generators would contribute to an overall more robust renewable energy system.

There are also opportunities for energy suppliers and customers to work together to use energy more sustainably, he says, which is why Good Energy would welcome political support for smart meters. They believe the devices are key to widespread adoption of energy-saving solutions. Why? Because, says Dixon, they can provide the level of data needed to enable suppliers to pass on incentives (and the resulting cost savings) to their customers to use electricity at certain times of day.

For example, the price difference for charging an electric vehicle can vary significantly. A dual-tariff meter allows customers to tell their supplier whether they are using energy during peak hours (usually during the day) or off-peak hours (usually at night). However, these multi-hour windows offer much less detailed information than a smart meter that can provide updates every half hour. This allows customers to observe and adjust their energy use to save, while suppliers can more accurately record consumption and pass on the resulting cost reductions.

It also works the other way around, allowing those who have the ability to generate their own energy, such as those with solar panels, to receive more accurate payments for the energy they export to the national grid. Dixon believes that with the smart reader and the more detailed data it provides, most solar panel owners will make more money.

There are other simple energy changes that Good Energy would like to see in manifestos that could help the average bill payer save money. Take, for example, the levies often included in electricity bills that support social initiatives such as the Renewable Energy Obligation and the Warm Homes Discount. The Good Energy team recognises the positive impact of these schemes, but sees a more equitable way to fund them.

Decentralizing the system and investing in local solar energy is a sustainable and cost-effective solution

“Fuel-poor families often live in poorly insulated homes, which inevitably results in high energy consumption, so they will pay more for these social programs than those who can afford them,” notes Dixon. If we instead moved the fees to general taxes, “it would be a fair way to pay for the essential green infrastructure we need to decarbonize our energy system, while maintaining the support provided by some of these programs.”

So, on a smaller scale, what else sounds right in the major parties’ manifestos? Dixon is pleased to note that Labor has promised to reintroduce a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and applauds the Liberal Democrats’ proposed “rooftop solar revolution” for solar panels on residential buildings. It also welcomes Labour’s target for a zero-emission electricity system by 2030 and the Conservatives’ pledge to triple offshore wind generation capacity. (Among the election pledges made by other parties are the SNP’s pledge to decarbonise 1 million homes by 2030 and the Greens’ pledge to target net zero emissions by 2040.)

Some of these policies, if followed, could help tackle the climate crisis: “If we can achieve those numbers and those levels of efficiency, it will reduce the UK’s carbon emissions,” he says.

Main image: ArtistGNDPhotography