News Article
Renewable Confusion Reigns
Governments low-carbon advisors can shed no light on the future role of the UK’s nascent solar generation industry
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advised the government today that nuclear power will be the cheapest way to provide low-carbon electricity for the next ten years. The CCC did throw a lifeline to the renewable energy industries by suggesting that renewables should provide 30-45% of Britain's electricity by 2030 but the solar industry say that they are being ignored.
“The full potential of solar energy is being overlooked. The only mention of solar in the CCC report is that concentrated solar power could be imported from overseas - possibly as far afield as North Africa,” said John Moreton, chairman of solar generator mO3 Power.
“Solar power should be used to provide Britain with a safe and politically secure source of electricity generation. The government need to support solar so that the technology can develop in this country and we reap the future economic and employment benefits,” he said.
The DECC is currently considering a proposal that would cut the support (through feed-in-tariffs) for medium sized solar developments (above 250kW) by 72% this summer.
According to Ray Noble of the Renewable Energy Association the Government will need to harness all the renewable technologies to cover the various weather effects in Britain.
“Last year was a poor year for Wind Turbines (because of lack of wind) and also a poor year for Hydro (because of the lack of rain). The beauty of Photovoltaic (PV) generation is it works on light and annual light levels vary by less than 5% therefore the annual generation is predictable,” he said.
The CCC was tasked with advising on Britain's low-carbon future shortly after the coalition government came to power a year ago. Their report reiterates that the current government's strategy of concentration on off-shore wind is a more expensive option than nuclear.
"We can expect significant cost reductions over the next two decades across a range of technologies, whether wind, marine or solar, and that's why these technologies are promising," said CCC chief executive David Kennedy.
“It is all very well to recognise the potential for solar but without government support now the industry will develop outside Britain,” said Ken Moss, CEO of mO3 Power.
“The CCC are recommending developing onshore wind and tidal generation and importing solar power from overseas. Germany has the most developed solar industry in the world and the climatic conditions in Britain exactly the same. Why not generate our own industry?”
