CANE - Coalition Against Nuclear Energy South Africa

UK Government report - microgeneration could rival nuclear

British buildings equipped with solar, wind and other micro power equipment could generate as much electricity in a year as five nuclear power stations, a UK government-backed industry report showed today. Commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Regulatory Reform (DBERR), the report says that if government chose to be as ambitious as some other countries, a combination of loans, grants and incentives could lead to nearly ten million microgeneration systems being installed by 2020. With the right incentives, nearly one in five buildings in Britain would effectively become mini power stations, feeding electricity into the grid, or generating enough to be largely self-sufficient. Some of the greatest gains would be in combined heat and power units which are suitable for large blocks of flats, estates and businesses. Britain has been widely criticised for not doing as much as other countries to encourage a mass market for small-scale renewables. Top of the proposed incentive list is a “feed-in” tariff scheme which would reward people who invest in making their own electricity for feeding excess power into the national gird. Other possible incentives include 50% grants to help people meet the high initial cost of equipment and installation. The energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, welcomed the report: “Microgeneration has the potential to make a significant contribution to overall energy use in the UK and, combined with energy efficiency measures, will help towards reducing our carbon emissions. The concerned individual can take an active role in the battle against climate change.”

Read the full African Energy News Review report

http://www.energynews.co.za/anl/linkredirect.php?linkid=f96839b3a75822fb85919299d4efc118&type=1

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