coming of age – decentralised energy

We hope CFU will be part of the mix!

"Onsite renewable and low carbon energy generation - also known as decentralised energy – will contribute 14 per cent of the UK’s energy needs by 2030 and save businesses that invest in it tens of billions of pounds, a new report has found.
Decentralised electricity and heat generated from technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP), anaerobic digestion (AD) wind and solar, will grow by 130 per cent and save UK businesses £33 billion between 2010 and 2030, according to the study carried out by Verdantix for specialist energy consultancy Utilyx.

The report, 'Coming of Age – Decentralised Energy?’ looks at six decentralised energy technologies – solar, wind, waste to energy, CHP, AD and tri-generation (the simultaneous creation of cooling, heat and power). It forecasts they will grow from eight gigawatts (GW) in 2011 (representing nine per cent of UK’s total generating capacity) to 17 GW in 2030 (representing 14 per cent of all UK generation capacity). It calculates the sector will deliver total carbon emissions savings of 350 million tonnes over the 20-year period. Businesses will benefit directly through reduced energy costs, more stable prices, and cutting their carbon footprint.

CHP: biggest growth
CHP will see the biggest growth in terms of absolute capacity – growing from 4 GW in 2011 to 7.1 GW in 2030 – according to the report. But it predicts solar will see the fastest increase in installed capacity, increasing by more than 400 per cent from 245 megawatts in 2011 to 1.25 GW in 2030.

Overall CHP and energy from waste will deliver the greatest savings to UK businesses by 2030, amounting to £20 billion.

The research was based upon a detailed forecast model, which analysed the uptake of the six technologies across 23 sectors including retail, banking, manufacturing, utilities and construction.

"This report shows that on-site energy generation will play an increasingly important role in our future energy mix," Mark Stokes, managing director for Utilyx’s asset management business, said. "In a climate of volatile and rising energy prices, decentralised energy can help businesses save money, reduce carbon, and provide energy security."

David Metcalfe, ceo, Verdantix, added: "Chief executives and finance directors should assess the potential of these low-risk energy technologies to cut costs and improve the security of energy supply."

http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/onsite-renewable-generation-to-meet-14-per-cent-of-uks-energy-needs-by-2030-4153.aspx

The energy revolution is gaining momentum. All aboard!