A sun-filled late summer helped the UK’s renewable energy sector set a new record in the third quarter of 2018, generating nearly one-third of national power.
The Renewable Energy Association said the 33.1% figure – the equivalent to around 25TWh – for the period was “fantastic news for the industry”. But it was quick to caution against further growth due to uncertainty surrounding the government scheme designed to promote the uptake of renewable and low-carbon electricity generation technologies.
The data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reveals how solar PV played a significant part in the Q3 record, with daily sunshine hours up 26% year-on-year for the three-month period. As a result, power generation from solar and wind throughout Q3 2018 was up 11% on the previous year.
The figures show that there is an increasing reliance on the UK’s renewable energy fleet for power generation, with production up from 31.7% in Q2.
However, Nina Skorupska, chief executive at the Renewable Energy Association, said any expectation for this percentage to continue to climb should be tempered until a replacement for the Feed-in tariff has been introduced.
The BEIS confirmed late last year that it is to close the export tariff to new installations from 31 March 2019 as well as the Feed-in tariff, effectively ending all financial support for small-scale renewables.
Skorupska accepted that the government had made its decision, but she urged decision-makers to work with the industry to create “an alternative mechanism and unlock a route to market as soon as possible”.
She added: “We need to ensure that cheap, green and technologically exciting energy and the jobs that accompany it are accessible to everyone across the UK.”
The phasing out of the Feed-in tariff scheme certainly does not spell the end for businesses seeking financial support for renewable energy projects. Zestec’s capital free solution allows businesses to utilise their redundant roof space to benefit from reduced energy costs without any financial outlay.
Through Zestec’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), businesses receive the benefits of a solar PV solution on an ‘all inclusive’ basis; this includes theinitial installation and fully managed operational monitoring and maintenance throughout the life of the system. It’s a no hassle, no cost, quick and efficient solution to being able to reduce ever increasing energy bills.
Find out more about this scheme, plus your other energy options, by calling the Zestec team on 01202 862760 or by emailing info@zestecgroup.co.uk.