What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is the term used to describe energy flows that occur naturally and continuously in the environment. Renewable energy is derived from inexhaustible sources such as the wind, sun, sea, or replaceable sources such as waste products and crops.
Renewable energy is no less reliable than energy generated from more traditional sources and using it does not mean that you have to change your lifestyle or your appliances. Using renewable energy can be as simple as using the sun for drying clothes or you can take advantage of more sophisticated renewable technologies, for example installing systems which use the sun's heat and light to generate energy.
Types of Renewable Energy
There is a wide range of renewable energy technologies to consider:
- Solar Photovoltaic Panels (PV) convert sunlight into electricity and could, over a year, provide a household with 30-50% of its electricity needs. Solar PV is suitable for urban and rural environments. The PV panels can be bolted onto a roof or PV roof tiles can be seamlessly incorporated with the regular tiles.
- Wind Turbines use the wind’s energy to generate electricity and can power a single dwelling, a business or even a whole community. Micro turbines are becoming more suitable for homes and businesses wishing to install renewable technologies
- Solar Water Heating is suitable for urban and rural environments. Used and sized correctly for the household, it can provide 50% of hot water needs over a year. The sun's heat can be used to warm domestic hot water supply and save money on heating bills; solar panels or "collectors" are be put on a roof, these heat up during the day and transfer the heat in to the hot water tank.
- Ground Source Heat Pumps take heat from under the ground using liquid (water and antifreeze) circulating in horizontal pipes or a vertical borehole. The heat extracted is generally used to warm water for space and under floor heating.
- Hydro-power systems convert potential energy stored in water held at height to kinetic energy (or the energy used in movement) to turn a turbine to produce electricity.
- Biomass is organic matter of recent origin; biomass doesn't include fossil fuels that have taken millions of years to evolve. The CO2 released when energy is generated from biomass is balanced by that absorbed during the fuel's production, this is a carbon neutral process. Domestic homes can be heated using modern, efficient boiler systems to burn logs, wood chip or wood pellets. Fuel is produced from specifically grown crops or forest management residues.
Further Information
For further information on renewable technologies please refer to:
The Energy Savings Trust website
(www.est.org.uk/myhome/generating/types).
For further information about registered installers of renewable technologies please consult the following websites:
DTI - Low Carbon Buildings Programme
(www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/info/installers)
Clear Skies - Renewable Energy Grants
(www.clear-skies.org)
Why Use Renewable Energy?
Climate Change
Energy underpins virtually every aspect of our economy and day-to-day lives. The use of fossil fuels, however, releases greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere. Due to factors such as population growth and changes in lifestyle, the demand for energy has increased to levels where the burning of fossil fuels is releasing enough greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to begin to directly affect our climate system.
There is now a scientific consensus that climate change is real and that it poses an immense threat to the world we live in. Impacts of climate change will make global problems such as drought, famine, flooding, disease, regional insecurity and population displacements worse.
General Pollution
As well as countering the effects of climate change, using renewable energy will also help to reduce other forms of environmental and social damage arising from the use of fossil fuels; for example, it will minimise the impact of acid rain on water and forest ecosystems, or reduce localised air pollution and its subsequent health impacts.
Government Targets
As part of its goal to reduce emissions, the Government has set a target for the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources. By 2010, 10% of UK electricity should come from renewable sources, there is also an ‘aspiration’ to double this figure by 2020.
Grants
Launched on 1 April 2006, the DTI’s ‘low carbon buildings programme’ provides grants for renewable microgeneration technologies to householders, community organisations, schools, the public, the ‘not for profit’ sector and private businesses.
Grants are available for technologies including solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, small-scale hydro, solar thermal hot water, heat pumps and bio-energy; the programme will also fund renewable CHP, micro CHP and fuel cells.
Before obtaining a grant the building in question must reach certain criteria for energy efficiency in terms of its level of insulation and heating control. This is to ensure a combined approach of energy efficiency and renewable energy to optimise the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Before installing a renewable technology system in your own home, you should make sure you are aware of any potential planning issues.
You can get more information regarding grants from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website
(www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk).
Further Information
Renewable Energy and Energy Technologies
For further information about renewable energy, renewable energy technologies, UK Government policy, UK planning policy, approved installers of renewables and the various financial support programmes please see the Department of Trade and Industries website (www.dti.gov.uk/energy/energy-sources/renewables/index).
Forum for the Future
Swindon Borough Council is proud to be a partner of Forum for the Future, the UK's leading sustainable development charity. Forum for the Future plays an active role in helping us to embed sustainability into the heart of our business. We are committed to working together strategically to show that a sustainable future is both possible and desirable.
For further information please visit the Forum for the Future website (www.forumforthefuture.org.uk).
Other Useful Links
Printer Friendly |
Text Only |
Accessibility Guide
