better generation

Statistics released yesterday by the Department of Energy and Climate Change have revealed that the renewable energy sector contributed to a record breaking 9.6% of the electricity supplied by the UK grid. This is an encouraging 50% increase on the figures from 2010. A statistic that is also rather encouraging is the percentage decrease on last year's figures in energy consumption. Domestic use in particular can be rewarded for its decrease in final consumption of energy with a percentage decrease of 3.7%. This decrease may have something to do with the current state of the economy, with households trying to be a bit more careful with their domestic electricity use. It could also partly be attributed to the mild spring we experienced this year. Maybe it is a bit too hopeful to think that this decrease is due to households trying to reduce their energy consumption as a way of decreasing carbon emissions but still, it is a positive figure all the same.

As Japan continues the quest for green energy sources, a British company may have found the answer with this breakthrough technology: Spray on Solar Cells.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. Has developed the technology that enables solar cells to be added to buildings, vehicles and even clothing the same way paint is applied. This means that solar panels could potentially be placed were we have been unable to harvest energy before.  The new solar cells utilize carbon compounds which when dried and solidified act as semi-conductors. This then generates electricity though a chemical reaction when exposed to light. The vast majority of solar cell technology requires crystalline silicon to be sandwiched between glass sheets and positioned of roofs and space consuming "Solar Parks". The company said the new painted solar cells would be particularly effective when applied to round or curved structures.

The scientists are attempting to increase both energy gathering efficiency and to make them easier to install. The cells current conversation is 10.1 percent of light to electricity. This is still a long away behind the 20 percent standard in traditional crystalline solar cells.

For many people around the globe, a stable connection to a National Power Grid may be hard to come by and very expensive. The question is, can renewable power offer the answer, can it replace the need for many homes and businesses around the world to connect to the grid at all?

Many remote locations around the world are a long way from the nearest Power Station or grid connection, even in Britain, there are locations that are estimated to incur costs up to £60,000 to get connected, simply to be able to pay even more for the electricity! This begs the question as to what the solution may be.

One answer is renewables and with growing support for the micro generation market, this is becoming more and more of a possibility. A combined Wind and Solar system, placed in the right location, could easily supply most remote homes with all the power they need.

Following on from our recent blog story on Japan's rapidly growing renewables market, there has been more news recently regarding upcoming government policy. With Japan still struggling to overhaul its energy production methods and renew its energy policies after the March earthquake and tsunami, new legislation is being drawn up that would provide incentives for the uptake of green energy solutions.

Last night it was confirmed that the oil spill in the North Sea is the worst the area has seen in a decade; Figures indicate that as much as 216 tonnes of oil may have entered the water so far, exceeding the annual total for this area for each of the last 10 years.

With the nuclear power station disaster in Japan still fresh in the minds, the Japanese demand for renewable energy is on the increase, however, a country that was once the world's solar cell manufacturing leader, the Japanese now trail the US and China. To improve green energy take up, the Government has started deliberating on legislation to create a system that would make power utility companies buy all the power that is produced by renewable means at a fixed price.

Speaking at the Social Liberal Forum on Saturday 18^th June, Chris Huhne laid out his ideas for improving environmental standards which he believes has a "win, win, win" formula as with his proposed changes, Huhne claims that competition can increase, thus leading to lower prices for the consumer and in turn, can benefit the government by helping them to reach the standards required in the EU and worldwide.  The three important "priorities" to enable this to happen include:

There's a fair bit of confusion out there concerning everything from to how solar panels work to the Feed-in Tariffs and beyond. A lot of answers lie in our factsheet pages but we do always try and answer any questions you might have. The following email exchange is one such example - If you do have any questions for us, get in touch!

So, the giant red blimp previously seen in Dorset, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire has continued its tour of the UK's proposed wind farm sites, and is now lumbering Northwards to the Highlands of Scotland and the proposed Druim Ba windfarm in Inverness-shire.

The International Small Wind Conference (ISWC) may have finished yesterday in Gateshead, England but it is to be quickly followed by yet another acronym-heavy exhibition this weekend in China. The China Wind Energy Exhibition (CWEE) starts tomorrow in Shanghai and just as ISWC was graced by the presence of  Better Generation's Toby Hammond, the Chinese exhibition will feature the CEO of the Better Generation Group, Graham Brant.