RENEWABLE ENERGY IN BRITAIN

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is the term used for those forms of energy that occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment-energy from the sun, the wind and the oceans.

How is Britain Developing the Renewable Energy Technologies?

Britain has had a development programme for harnessing renewable energy since the mid-1970's. Today, some renewable technologies are already being deployed economically up and down the country, while others continue to be developed with a view to deployment early next century.

The Government's Renewable Programme

Renewable energy development in Britain has been supported by a Government programme since 1974, directed by the Renewables Branch of what is now Electricity Division of the Department of Trade and Industry. The programme's overall aim is to encourage exploitation of renewable energy resources to the fullest practical extent, wherever they have prospects of being economically competitive and environmentally acceptable.

In 1988, the Government set out a long-term strategy for the renewable energy technologies, comprising two main elements:

first a continuing RD&D (Research, Development and Demonstration) and marketing programme

and secondly the establishment of a legislative framework within which renewables could compete equitably with conventional sources of energy.

Sources of energy

Petroleum

Petroleum provides most of the energy used for transportation and heats millions of homes as well.

Coal

The major uses of coal include the production of electricity and steel. Coal also provides heat and power for many other industries. In Europe and Asia, coal heats countless homes. Chemists have developed various methods of turning coal into a gas or a liquid.

Natural gas

Natural gas is the cleanest and most convenient fossil fuel. The easiest transport is through pipelines. Natural gas is used for heat, power, cook,

Wood

It still furnishes a small percentage of the energy used in the world. But wood's importance as a source of enregy will probably decrease in the future.

Water power and tidal energy

Taking energy from water is one of mankind's most ancient technical skills. But most water power projects require the construction of a dam or other expensive structure.

Today, power can be extracted from this renewable resource through the use of tidal, hydro or wave power devices.

Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy comes from fission, the splitting of the atoms of certain elements, especially uranium. Electricity is generated in fission reactors and creates huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel. Nuclear power plants produce tons of radioactive waste yearly and present the danger of accidental discharges of radioactivity.

Solar energy

Solar radiation is the ultimate source of most forms of renewable energy. By driving the world's climatic system, it gives rise to wind, wave and hydro power; by sustaining plant growth it produces the biofuels.

The term 'solar energy', however, normally refers only to those energy sources that derive directly from the Sun's light and warmth.

Wind power

Windmills have been used for centuries for grinding cereals and pumping water; and from around 1900, wind-driven turbines have also been used to generate electricity.

The first machines were simple devices with outputs of a few kilowatts. Modern wind turbines use advanced technology to give outputs up to several megawatts.

Wind itself costs nothing and creates no pollution but needs a strong, steady wind.

Geothermal power

Geothermal power is generated wherever there water comes into contact with heated underground rocks and turns into steam.

Solid wastes

Several cities throughout the world produce electricity by burning wastes.

Producing fuels from wastes and crops

The term 'biofuel' is used for any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel produced from organic matter, either directly from plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural wastes. Several biofuels technologies are already commercially viable, with industry now taking the lead in their development.

Forms of energy

Solar energy

The radiant energy given off by the sun, provides heat, light and nearly all other energy that exists on the earth.

Chemical energy

Chemical energy is produced by chemical changes. Released slowly through food, it powers all living things. Released quickly, chemical energy can launch a rocket.

Electric energy

It's usually converted into other forms of energy to do work. One important form is mechanical energy, such as that produced by a drill.

Mechanical energy

It's the energy that moves machines and other things. The mechanism of a watch moves because of the mechanical energy stored in ist spring.

Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is released when certain atoms split or combine. Nuclear energy can power cities or propel submarines and other ships.

Energy efficiency

The development of renewable energy can't be sonsidered in isolation; at the same time as changes are made in energy generation, measures should be implemented to ensure that the energy produced is used more efficiently. There is a little point in increasing the range of available energy supplies if no steps are taken to optimise its use.

Britain has the potential, cost effectively, to reduces its annual energy consumption by as much as 20% - a saving worth about 10 billion pounds a year, using technology and techniques which are largely available currently. Savings are possible in every sector of the economy, and the Energy Efficiency Office, now part of the Department of the Environment, has spearheaded the drive to ensure the widest possible application of energy efficiency measures throughout Britain.

Demand and supply

Until recently interest in energy sources on a practical industrial scale centered on coal, oil and gas. Mankind has had a long period of dependence on the irreplaceable stores of energy. Now there is active interest into the possibilities of other sources, which are inexhaustible.

Inexhaustible sources of energy:

- solar radiation

- gravitational and rotational forces

- subterranean heat from radioactive decay

- nuclear fission or fusion.

The world-wide energy demand is expected to grow at 3,3 percent each year.

Worrying aspects are the heavy dependence of the developed countries on oil, a large part of which comes from a politically unstable region. The oil crises of 1973 led all consumer countries to take measures to seek other sources of energy in use.

Coal has still large reserves, but reserves of oil will be consumed in 20 years. Nuclear energy is a big danger for our environment. But because of the increasing supply on energy the dependence on nuclear energy seems inescapable. New sources must be found and used as soon as possible.

Recycling

"Recycling", a term almost unknown a few years ago, is very popular now. A few decades ago people were used to use things more often, but the American Way of Life turned us into a society of wastmakers. But increasing raw material prices made us think. We try not to use materials wich can´t be recycled. In many parts of Austria you have to segregate (trennen) the different kinds of waste like paper, glass, plastics and so on. There will, however, always remain ssome components of the waste steam which cannot be recycled at all, but we should try our best.

Climate change

In December 1992, the Department of the Environment published a consultion document 'Climate Change- Our National Programme for CO₂ Emissions'. The document, is intended to simulate public debate in Britain about the ways in which individuals, businesses and other organisations can contribute to the national programme for limiting emissions of carbon dioxide up to the year 2000.

It also describes options for Government measures, including economic steps - seen as 'likely to provide the most flexible and cost effective way of encouraging action to limit emissions'.

Vocabulary