Everything you need to know about renewable energy and how you can really go green with your electric vehicle

Renewable energy has become a key part of our future. Governments, businesses and consumers are grappling with the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources. As the UK aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, it is vital that we transition to a 100% carbon neutral electricity system.

According to National Grid, renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydropower and bioenergy. In 2023, wind power accounted for 29.4% of total UK electricity generation, solar power 4.9%, hydropower 1.8% and biomass power (which is still counted as renewable even though it involves burning organic materials) – five percent.

A quick look at National Grid Live (which purports to show the UK’s energy mix over set periods) shows that in the week to September 25, gas was still the largest source of electricity production at 31.6%, followed by gas. wind 20.8 percent There is definitely something to work on – and we all have to play a part in it.

Renewable energy expert Andy Sage from E.ON Next wants to help clear the air when it comes to renewable energy sources and has some sound advice on what you need to do to make it work best for you.

“We need to think about energy as a product over time,” Sage says. “If you have to use coal, is it still better to build new plants that are much more efficient? They still burn things, but you get a lot more value with that energy content. And if you build a few wind turbines, will they be greener than a coal-fired power plant from day one? It’s hard to say because we still had to invest in steel and concrete to make it work.”

As the latest statistics show, renewable energy sources account for a larger share of our energy mix each year. But the role we as consumers have to play can also have a big impact. As Andy Sage explains, changing our behavior is key.

“As various energy sources begin to die off, the grid will be powered by more and more renewable energy sources,” Sage says. “Let’s take it for granted that in the future our grid will be 100% renewable. To make this work, we need a role for electric vehicles and a role for storage and software to balance consumption, storage and export.”

“We will have to make some behavioral change, but it is not as bad as some people may think. A great example is the debate over what range anxiety means. I’ve always said it’s not just range anxiety time Bow. If you can fully charge your car in 10 minutes, you don’t have to worry about range, so vehicle range isn’t an issue.

“I think it’s about people understanding what ‘green energy’ actually means – it’s about seeing and understanding the journey from what we do now to the future and understanding that this is a behavioral change that we will get used to.

“It’s about accepting that changing behavior takes time. There are many examples from the past, such as opposition to seat belt laws. Today it is clear: why NO do we wear seat belts in our cars?”

“It will take a while for people to realize that things like tumble drying after midnight are not difficult, they just require a bit of planning. Some people have a negative attitude towards “green energy” because they see the end state of sudden behavior change and loss of benefits. What they don’t see is how quickly we can adapt to change and that’s what makes green energy work.”

Education is the key to changing behavior. Sage believes the government has a role to play and even has a novel campaign idea to help make it happen. “I made a note that you need a Judi Dench or a Benedict Cumberbatch sitting on a park bench giving simple, basic, honest instructions,” Sage says. “I’m just explaining what a kilowatt hour actually means. So if you charge your car at home with seven kilowatt hours, you will drive it 21 miles, and it will cost you two and a half pence to drive a mile.”

It is crucial to better understand how we use energy, but also to truly understand what renewable energy actually is. Sage says consumers should look out for something called REGO, which stands for renewable energy guarantees.

Energy regulator Ofgem defines REGO as a system that provides transparency to consumers about the proportion of electricity a supplier sources from renewable energy. Ofgem awards energy suppliers one REGO certificate for each megawatt-hour of renewable energy they produce, which allows suppliers to document the mix of fuels used to produce the electricity supplied. Think of it like the designation of origin on a bottle of champagne.

“When suppliers like us buy energy, we have something called a power purchase agreement,” Sage says. “Basically, it’s a contract that says we’ll pay the generator the same per megawatt hour it generates.” As Sage explains, the complexity of renewable energies means there is a mix of fuels involved. “Our intention is to use our power purchase agreements to purchase renewable energy, but there will always be times – we call it the fuel mix – when you won’t be able to buy everything because we operate in a market where different types of generators will make different things.”

Andy Sage, E.ON

“Of course, there will be times when there will not be enough renewable energy sources on the grid. However, providers cannot simply switch off; This is not a bakery where you can say they are out of flour, so we are closing for today. We have to buy everything that the consumer can take, so we have to strike that balance. Our intention is always to buy everything we can (renewable energy sources), but there is nothing to prevent a scenario in which non-renewable sources are also needed. But the more we reinvest, the more it will work. The REGO program means that when we buy REGO, we pay a premium for reinvestment in renewable energy sources, and E.ON covered this cost.

A similar argument arises for electric vehicles when greenhouse gas emissions are calculated “from source to wheel” rather than just “from tank to wheel”. The well-to-drill process involves extracting oil from the ground, processing it, transporting it, loading it into a tank, and then burning it. In the case of renewable energy, REGO ensures that energy throughout the supply chain is as renewable as possible.

“This is where the argument comes from that electric vehicles will never be green if they continue to use electricity from coal,” Sage said. “If you connect to the grid and the grid is mostly based on renewables and there is a REGO, that gives you the best balance and achieves the goal (reducing emissions).”

Energy storage is one way to achieve 100% renewable energy in your home, whether it’s a local energy storage station or a battery on your own property. E.ON Next has just announced a partnership with the world’s largest offshore wind farm, located 55 miles off the Yorkshire coast, and has introduced a burst tariff that Sage says will ultimately provide local wind turbine power.

“Even though power will be fed into the grid, at some point there will be more substations and more local storage. Theoretically, this would mean that any nearby properties would only use the power from this plant and use the grid as an emergency power source,” Sage said.

Optionally, rooftop solar panels are also available to power your own energy storage system, with power for your home coming from a battery when daylight isn’t providing any energy. However, as Sage explained, this battery storage system doesn’t have to be a battery on the side of the house. “If you have an electric vehicle connected, it can actually become a battery. Most home systems only need five or six kilowatts. A car battery has a capacity ranging from 65 to over 100 kWh, so that’s a lot, right? Imagine having an entire neighborhood with connected cars. Suddenly you have a megawatt of storage there and you don’t have to build anything extra. It gives you a sense of where the value of storing home vehicles and on-grid vehicles comes in.”

Software and smartphones also play a role in helping electric vehicle users choose the cheapest and greenest charging times, and energy companies like E.ON Next are taking on the responsibility of making this easier for customers.

The transition to green energy is inextricably linked to the introduction of electric vehicles, which can serve as both consumers and suppliers of energy in a dynamic grid based on renewable energy sources. As we move towards a net zero future, it is important to address the challenges of defining, marketing and deploying energy in a way that is both effective and understandable to society. With strategic government support, innovative technologies and a clear focus on the end goal, the transition to a more sustainable future is not only possible, but inevitable.