Feature: Renewable
Resistors support renewable energy
By Simone Bruckner, Managing Director, Cressall I
n recent years, renewable energy options have become much more efficient and feasible. This has led to their widespread adoption, because – most importantly – they are suitable to the current
environmental issues. Like all other power generation methods these applications require resistors.
Renewables on the rise Britain passed a significant landmark in June 2020, as the nation went for two months without burning coal to generate power. That new coal-free period smashed the previous record from June 2019, which was 18 days, six hours and ten minutes. Whilst that hiatus was caused by the
unprecedented shutdown of many of the National Grid’s coal-fired power plants, the disruptions of 2020 were even more remarkable. A decade ago, around 40% of the UK’s electricity came from coal and, whilst the recent plummet in demand
32 February 2021
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
accounts for some of the success, it isn’t the full story. Two examples illustrate the recent
changes in Britain’s power network. Ten years ago, wind and solar energy made up a meagre 3% of the country’s power mix, compared to the first six months of 2020, where renewables were responsible for a significant 37% of electricity supplied to the network – outstripping fossil fuels by 2%. Secondly, a company that has
historically been one of the biggest players in coal power appears to be moving on from its history: Drax, the UK’s largest power plant operator, was once the biggest consumer of coal in the UK. Now, the plant is switching over to compressed wood pellets with the goal of phasing out coal entirely by March 2021. Whilst some environmental activists
still question the efficiency of burning wood, which produces carbon emissions in its own right, this change would leave the UK with just three coal- powered plants.
Winds of change Tere is one major reason Britain’s 2020 shiſt away from coal power will be more than a passing trend – because renewable technology is far more sophisticated than it was ten years ago. Renewable energy has undergone a massive scale-up in recent years, largely as a result of the Paris Climate Agreement, but also because new technologies have made it more possible for renewables to outshine fossil fuels. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems offer
many power advantages – they’re easy and quick to install, scaleable and can go into various settings. Solar PV systems can be installed in large solar farms, as well as residential and commercial buildings, and once installed, their generating power – the Sun’s energy – is free. In recent solar panel developments,
research into capturing and using waste heat emitted by solar panels could help reduce solar costs even more, whilst doubling the efficiency of solar cells. Photovoltaic tracking panels have also
A single MHI
Vestas 9.6MW wind turbine can power over 8,000 homes
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