news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk
Energy storage ‘must hit 30GW’ At least 30GW of energy storage will be required to reach net zero, according to new research. The analysis, produced by Imperial College for energy giant Drax’s Energy Insights paper, states that as intermittent generation from renewables like wind and solar grows, the country will have to increase its storage capacity tenfold. As efforts to decarbonise power continue, Britain is likely to source 70-80 per cent of its power from wind and solar power by 2050. Storage will be needed to balance the peaks and troughs created by such generation, with the majority of power generated in the middle of the day and the highest demand in the evening generally. The analysis looked at 28 scenarios from 24 independent studies and how they forecast renewables growth, and the following need for storage. It showed that within these 70-80 per cent renewable scenarios, GB would require storage capacity of around a third of peak electricity demand. At the moment, on average, renewables make up a quarter of the country’s electricity mix, according to the analysis. With each unit of intermittent power added though, an additional 0.2 units of energy storage capacity will be needed to keep the grid stable and the supply smooth. This could be a huge challenge for GB, which currently only has 3GW of storage, but will need to increase it to 30GW. The lead author Dr Iain Staffell said that storage stood to play a pivotal role in dictating the pace, scale and cost of the energy transition. “Along with other technologies, such as interconnection and flexible generation, energy storage helps integrate more renewables onto the system, which makes it easier to manage the grid and enables greater decarbonisation at lowest cost.”
ECODESIGN LAWS FOR ELECTRICITY-CONSUMING PRODUCTS
More efficient, easier to repair goods New EU ecodesign laws will require electricity-consuming products to be easier to repair or recycle, as well as even more energy efficient. The new rules were agreed in principle by all 28 EU member states back in January 2019, and are among the final measures applying to the UK as a full member. This will mean all TVs, monitors, fridges, freezers, washing machines, washer-driers, dishwashers, and lighting products sold anywhere within the EU market from April 2021 will have to meet minimum repairability requirements. Up until now, the Ecodesign Directive has focused on making sure products are more efficient, so that they perform better while using less energy. But EU policymakers are now pushing a step further into the circular economy concept, making sure products both last longer and are easier to repair and recycle. Consequently, the updated
Directive is removing the most wasteful products from the market, replacing them with appliances that meet higher energy efficiency standards and are designed to be easier to repair or recycle. The move is aimed at extending the lifetime of products, in order to save consumers money while also slashing greenhouse gas emissions generated by product manufacturing, waste disposal, and inefficient products. Together with these new energy efficiency requirements, ecodesign measures are reckoned to
save around 5 per cent of the EU’s electricity consumption (140TWh) cutting around £22bn from energy bills in the process. Nevertheless, there remains concern that eco-labels have yet to be adopted covering office equipment such as computers, displays, and servers (see EiBI April 2019). Chloe Fayole, strategy director at environmental group Ecos, hailed the new rules as a turning point in the way products are manufactured and used in Europe. “With these measures, Europe has taken a big step towards a more circular economy, which should inspire the rest of the world,” she said. “We now expect EU decision makers to replicate this approach to many other products. Notably electronic products such as smartphones and computers, to minimise their environmental impact.”
London gets its own renewable-only energy supplier Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched London Power, a new renewable-only energy supplier. The joint partnership between the Mayor of London and Octopus Energy offers a 12-month fixed tariff, dubbed My London fixed yearly plan, which it claims will be within the cheapest 10 per cent of similar tariffs, estimating an average household could save £300 a year. A separate plan, My London top-up plan, will be available to prepayment customers. “London Power is a different kind of energy company. For the first time we have a fair, affordable, green energy company specially designed for Londoners,” Khan said. London Power offers no exit fees and a roll-over into the cheapest similar tariff at the time a customer’s contract ends. Profits are set to be reinvested into community projects helping those living in fuel poverty, working to tackle the climate emergency and working to make London zerocarbon. Stuart Jackson, co-founder and CFO of Octopus Energy, said
Octopus “couldn’t be happier” to launch London Power, offering “a good deal on planet-friendly power”. The launch of the supplier comes as part of the Mayor’s Energy for Londoners programme, aiming to make London’s homes warm, healthy and affordable, its workplaces more energy efficient and its energy supply more local and clean. Over 1,000 Londoners have registered interest in London Power. It was unveiled in September, with an
original go-live date of December. Nina Skorupska, CEO of the Renewable Energy Association, said: “London Power embodies the future of energy companies in the UK; localised, affordable and 100 per cent renewable. “The interest already shown demonstrates the growing appetite amongst consumers to feel a personalised connection to their energy, knowing where it comes from and who it is benefitting.”
06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | FEBRUARY 2020
EIBI_0220_006-7-8-9(T).indd 1
04/02/2020 16:17
