Why Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is so important because of the benefits it provides. Key benefits are:

Environmental Benefits

Renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy with a much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies.

Energy for our children, their children and their children’s children ……

Renewable energy will not run out……EVER as other sources of energy are finite and will some day be depleted.

Jobs and the Economy

Renewable energy already employs more than a quarter of a million people; by 2020 it could be well over half a million people. The creation of jobs in the renewable energy sector, investment in new manufacturing capability and the consequent direct and indirect benefits will support our transition to a green economy.

A progress report by the UK government clearly shows the economic benefits of investing in renewable energy sources.

• The UK Government aims to become a low carbon economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to at least 60% by 2050 and to increase energy generation share by renewable energy from the present 4% to 15% by 2020
• the renewable energy industry is responsible for more than £2.5 billion of investment in the UK economy and is set to create more than 12,000 new jobs this fiscal year
• There is an EU wide initiative to source 20% of all energy (15% for UK) from renewable sources by 2020
• A threefold increase in the use of transport bio-fuels from 1% in 2007 to 3.3% in 2010.
• Greater use of wind generation, up by 46% from 7TWh in 2008 to 10.2TWh in2010.
• A 27% increase in renewable energy use representing 3.3% of total energy consumed.

The figures are certainly encouraging but there is a long way to go.

Security and energy independence

Currently the UK is a net importer of energy with heavy dependence on foreign gas & oil supplies. An ageing energy infrastructure and a large proportion of nuclear and coal-fired power stations due to be decommissioned before 2020, only serve to increase our imported energy needs unless products, methods and solutions from within the renewable energy sector are actively sought and integrated by businesses. Getting more renewable energy across the UK can give us much more security and greater energy independence – helping to shield us from global fossil fuel price fluctuations.