In 2017, the United Kingdom will become the first country in the world to run entirely on renewable energy, according to the National Grid.
The country currently gets nearly all of its electricity from nuclear power, with coal and gas providing the rest. But starting in March 2018, the U.K. will phase out coal-generated power and replace it with renewable energy.
The change is being made because of mounting evidence that climate change is threatening human life on Earth. With countries like India and China experiencing severe droughts, it’s clear that we need to find sustainable ways to power our civilization.
Solar energy is one of the most popular, and undoubtedly the most sustainable, alternative sources of energy. Thanks to technological advancements and decreasing costs, solar power has become an attractive option for people who want to contribute to a more sustainable energy future for their home country.
In the United Kingdom, 79 large-scale solar projects will generate enough clean power for 1.85 million homes. This is the equivalent of taking 83 coal-fired power stations offline, or removing around 8% of the country’s entire energy production.
These solar farms utilize a variety of technology, including solar PV, solar thermal, and solar hybrid. The largest of the projects utilize 100-meters-tall solar towers that harness the power of the sun to create electricity. These projects are built on farmland and collect energy from early morning sunlight until late afternoon, when the sun starts to drop. At that point, the electricity they produce is fed back into the National Grid.
In addition to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, these large-scale solar projects make a significant contribution to local employment. According to the Solar Powers UK, 86.5% of those employed in the industry are located in the construction sector, with the remaining 13.5% split between marketing, procurement, and installation.
Building and maintaining these massive solar projects is a difficult and skilled job. But it is a job that helps to power our future. For now, at least.
Why Are We Making This Change?
In the U.K., electricity demand is expected to rise by around 20% by 2025. And it’s not just homes: commercial buildings and transport also have a large appetite for electricity. What’s more, as the population gets older and more people live a longer life, the demand for energy-saving devices, such as heat pumps and air-conditioning, soars.
In addition, countries like Germany and Japan have already shifted to renewable energy, so it’s only a matter of time before the U.K. follows suit.
While it’s great that we’re progressively reducing our energy use and becoming less dependent on fossil fuels, it’s not enough to simply move to renewables. We need to find alternative and sustainable ways to generate power. And that’s where solar comes in.
How Do We Know That This Is The Right Time To Switch?
Coal has been used to generate electricity in the U.K. for over 100 years and originally provided cheap and abundant energy. Things started to change in the 1970s when pollution caused by coal reached unacceptable levels and led to the phase-out of conventional power plants. Since then, we’ve been relying more and more on renewable energy sources to provide our electricity needs.
It’s now well-established that fossil fuels cause climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal.” And since the impacts of climate change are becoming more apparent, it’s clear that we need to find alternative sources of energy.
Renewables, like solar, are unlimited in supply. This makes them ideal for powering our future. Not only are they free from the environmentally destructive effects of conventional power generation, but they can also be generated on a large scale to meet the power demands of a populous country.
What Does This Mean For Solar In Ireland?
Withdrawing support for conventional power generation and moving to renewables will inevitably have an impact on electricity generation in Ireland. As it stands, we only use around 7% of our energy from renewable sources, with the remainder coming from fossil fuels such as coal and gas. This could change, however, as recent legislation requires electricity providers to get 15% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Currently, there are no large-scale solar projects in Ireland. But with the right government support and favorable feed-in tariffs, it’s certainly possible that this could change. In fact, many small-scale solar projects already provide electricity to a variety of businesses and homes in Ireland.
Withdrawing support for conventional power generation and moving to renewables will inevitably have an impact on electricity generation in Ireland. As it stands, we only use around 7% of our energy from renewable sources, with the remainder coming from fossil fuels such as coal and gas. This could change, however, as recent legislation requires electricity providers to get 15% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.
The Benefits Of Going Green
There are numerous benefits to going green, most notably for the environment. Withdrawing support for conventional power generation and moving to renewables reduces our dependence on fossil fuels and decreases carbon emissions. In addition, using more renewable energy sources means that less pollution is being pumped into the environment. Finally, these large-scale solar projects provide us with affordable energy and help to reduce costs for future generations. These are all important considerations for a responsible and sustainable energy future.
While the switch to renewable energy is challenging, it’s also incredibly rewarding. We’re experiencing a global energy transition toward more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternatives, and that’s something to be proud of.
What’s Next?
It’s great to see solar power becoming a viable option for countries that want to reduce their carbon footprint. We need to keep driving toward renewable energy, whether that’s solar, wind, or another type of clean energy. And in order to do that, we need to ensure that the cost of these alternative sources of energy is taken into consideration and, in some instances, provided for.
In the U.K., the cost of solar power has decreased significantly in recent years and is now on a par with, or even lower than, the cost of conventional power. This has motivated more and more people to switch to renewables and helped drive the change toward a more sustainable future.
The trend toward renewable energy is clear and it’s important that we continue driving toward this change. While we’re phasing out coal in the U.K., and Ireland is set to follow suit, there are still billions of tons of fossil fuels out there that need to be brought back online. Finding a sustainable solution for these power plants is a real challenge and one that will require expertise in mining, metallurgy, and clean energy generation.
That’s why it’s so important to focus on creating skilled roles in these areas as more and more people are realizing the importance of a sustainable energy future. Innovative businesses such as SolarWorld have created thousands of new jobs and driven industry forward. And it’s great to see that trend continue.