An investigation into the future of sustainable power generation within the UK domestic sector

Abstract

Globally, the supply of fossil fuels is rapidly depleting and the effects of their use on the climate are becoming more noticeable. Recent European initiatives and renewable targets have increased the awareness of carbon emissions and the need for increased use of renewable sources. The UK government is committed to meeting an ambitious target of producing 15 percent of the UK's energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. The aim of the study is to discover how arise in sustainable power generation for the UK domestic sector could be achieved. This is achieved by analysing the current UK electricity consumption within the domestic sector, identifying the current renewable generation methods used and attaining expert views on renewables and their future prospect. Two semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of renewable energy were conducted. It is clear that both believe that the future of renewable energy within the UK will primarily be in the form of wind and solar power however, technologies such as wave and tidal power were also discussed which also have the potential to play a role in the future of UK energy. Through analysing all the research, recommendations have been made for the future of renewables within the UK. It has been suggested that the UK government expands the use of renewables, with the majority of development in solar and wind; increased use of domestic renewable sources and alter consumer behaviour; and finally, a recommendation for the government to establish an initiative to encourage consumers to time-shift when they use electricity to enable the use of energy from intermittent sources when available.