Wind Power and Decentralised Energy
05 April
2006
Climate change and securing our long term energy supplies have recently propelled electricity generation into the political spotlight. In order to combat both of these threats, we urgently need to reduce our carbon emissions by building renewable energy capacity as fast as possible and making much more efficient use of the energy available to us. Our existing, centralised electricity system wastes two thirds of the energy contained in the fuels in the form of heat before any electricity even leaves the power station. Enough heat is lost in this way to meet the entire space and water heating needs of every building in this country. More is then lost as the electricity travels long distances along the wires to where it is needed. At a time when climate change and energy security are such pressing problems, this surely has to stop
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There is another way – by locating power stations right next to where power is needed, we can make much more efficient use the energy by capturing the heat and using it to heat our homes and offices. By ‘decentralising’ our energy system, everyday buildings can help us tackle climate change and ensure our energy security by playing host to devices such as solar panels, small wind turbines and combined heat and power boilers. (These generate electricity as well as providing heat for houses and hot water). The electricity created can be used directly by homes or workplaces, can be fed into a local network or fed back in to the national grid. Producing both heat and electricity in this way also helps to avoid the huge losses that occur when electricity is transported long distances.
DE is already a reality in parts of Europe and is happening in the UK!
Woking Borough Council has pioneered DE in the UK by installing small scale renewable technologies, making use of community-scale combined heat and power generators and implementing a local network that is independent from the grid. The results have been a massive 77% reduction in carbon emissions, energy prices for low income households lowered, and the Council holds claim to being the most energy efficient in the country.
Click here for details of Woking’s climate change strategy, and here (Adobe PDF file) for information on the implementation of their local sustainable energy systems.
Wind turbines play a vital role in a DE network. It has become increasingly simple to install domestic turbines with advice on planning applications and different turbine designs now readily available. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) has just created an area on their website specifically for small scale wind set-up at www.bwea.com/small. Information about Government grants to people installing turbines at their homes can be found here.
Installing your own turbine has never been easier!
Why not write to or meet with your local Councillor and ask them to investigate changing your village, town or city’s energy system to DE…and encourage your neighbours and friends to follow your lead!
Download a PDF of the Greenpeace report, Decentralising Power: An Energy Revolution For The 21st Century.
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