UK 2020 Renewable Energy targets
Click here for the UK Renewable Energy Strategy (RES)
The European Union requires the UK to generate a minimum of 15% of its electicity usage from renewable energy source by 2020.
Although this is not an onerous target, there are some concerns in how this target should be met.
The UK can achieve this renewal energy target simply from the huge increase in offshore wind farms, as well as the energy generated from onshore wind turbines.
In my view this is not a well thought out target. Generating electricity from wind can only occur when the wind blows! Since we cannot rely on electricity from this renewable energy source, the UK must still have to have sufficient generating capacity to meet the maximum envisaged demand by the UK population, which occurs mostly during our cold, dark winters.
The UK must have sufficient fossil fuel and nuclear power stations to meet this maximum demand. The primary use of electricity from renewable energy resources is to simply reduce the electricity generated from these traditional sources.
Replacing any amount of electricity generated by fossil fuel or nuclear power will reduce pollution.
It could aso mean that the traditional power stations may not operate so efficiently which could result in the generated electricity costing more to produce.
The Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) anticipates that the 15% renewable energy target could be best achieved using renewable energy in the following way:
- 30% of electricity demand (117 TWh)
- 12% of heat demand (72 TWh)
- 10% of transport demand (49 TWh)