Our electric future


Paul Hutchens is CEO of Midlands-based solar specialists, Eco2Solar. He is a board member of the Solar Trade Association (STA, the UK’s leading solar industry voice, and Chairman of the STA’s New Build Working Group which aims to inform governments, councils, house builders and consumers about sustainability in housing. Here, Paul discusses the quickening pace towards electrification of energy in the UK, what this shift means for the grid, and how our electric future should ultimately benefit all consumers.


As fossil fuel resources are depleted and demand for sustainable energies increase, we are looking to a future of total electrification of energy in homes, industry and transport. This is a world-wide movement, but specifically in the UK, is the National Grid prepared to meet this demand? Renewable energy solutions like solar serve a vital role in meeting future energy requirements, but are the systems currently in place able to monitor and react to the significant changes in demand expected?


SHIFTS TO ELECTRIFICATION


Shifts towards total electrification can be seen across buildings and transport, and this movement is gaining pace. Looking first at buildings - the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy released in 20171


recommends ‘phasing


out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating in both domestic and non- domestic buildings off the gas grid during the 2020’s, starting with new build’. In addition, following recommendations from the Climate Change Committee, there is widespread agreement that heating must be decarbonised in order to meet the UK’s 2050 carbon targets.


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The six large energy companies dominating the market are having to show unprecedented agility and flexibility in reacting to changes in sources of energy. At the same time, these companies are being challenged by the emergence of more nimble, small power generators, which can immediately smooth supply of energy supply. These small generators, often positioned in sites that experience power shortages are presenting ‘two-way’ power systems where low carbon energy such as solar are complemented by energy sources like batteries and small, local power stations. These ‘pop-ups’ are increasingly valuable at times of peak demand, especially as we experience more phases of extreme weather.


In terms of transport, all eyes are on electric vehicles (EVs). In 2017, the Government pledged to ban production of new petrol and diesel car sales by 2040 and more recently there have been calls to bring that ban forward to 2032. Several large car manufacturers have announced that they will shortly stop production of vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engine. Volvo will stop next year and Jaguar Land Rover in 2020. Other major manufacturers plan to release high-profile electric models, including Volkswagen who have recently announced plans to handle production of 50 million electric vehicles.


Electrification of industry is following suit behind buildings and transport, but the pace of change is slower. However, for buildings and transport the not-so- distant future looks to be electric.


INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO ELECTRIFICATION


In November 2018, the International Energy Agency reported that the world has no capacity to absorb new fossil fuel plants. We know that we cannot continue to rely on fossil fuels to generate the electricity required for industry, transport and buildings. This year, electricity generation from coal decreased by 47 per cent from June to August, compared to the same period in 2017, representing just 1.2 per cent of total MPP supply. The gap left needed to be filled by a significant increase in energy production from renewable sources. Indeed, September this year saw a major milestone in the UK power market as for the first time there was more renewables capacity on the grid from fossil fuels. The challenge for the National Grid is how it will balance these different energy sources in order to maintain consistency in supply.


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