Renewable Energy in the UK: Focus on Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal, Biofuels, Summaries of Energy and Environment

Download Renewable Energy in the UK: Focus on Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal, Biofuels and more Summaries Energy and Environment in PDF only on Docsity!

• (^) UK mix of renewable energy
• (^) Why we need renewable energy
• (^) Wind
• (^) Solar
• (^) Hydroelectric
• (^) Geothermal
• (^) Biofuels
• (^) UK mix of renewable energy
• (^) Why we need renewable energy
• (^) Wind
• (^) Solar
• (^) Hydroelectric
• (^) Geothermal
• (^) Biofuels

Largest contributor

Smallest contributor

Other bioenergy

Offshore Wind

Solar PV

Onshore Wind Hydroelectric

Landfill gas

UK Electricity generation by fuel source 2017 – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy The UK uses renewable energy resources to generate heat and electricity. Put these renewables in order from largest to smallest contributors to electricity generation.

The UK uses renewable energy resources to generate heat and electricity. Put these renewables in order from largest to smallest contributors to electricity generation.

Largest contributor

Smallest contributor

Other bioenergy

Offshore Wind

Solar PV

Hydroelectric

Onshore Wind 29%

Landfill gas 4%

UK Electricity generation by fuel source 2017 – Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Why do we need renewable energy resources? Why can’t we just continue to use non-renewable resources?

• (^) CO 2 is at 407ppm (Oct
  2018. increased by 90ppm in the last 70 years
• (^) Global warming ~1.1 ° C in the past 200 years
• (^) Ocean acidification
• (^) Rising sea level ~3.2mm each year
• (^) Decreasing ice sheet mass
• (^) Retreating glaciers
• (^) Decreasing Arctic ice at a rate of 13% each decade

Renewable energy is crucial for mitigating climate changeRenewable energy is crucial for mitigating climate change

Propeller Blade Nacelle containing generator Tower

Wind farm

Wind turbine

• (^) Strong winds
• (^) Clear hilltop
• (^) Turbines in prevailing wind direction

The amount of power, and therefore electricity, a wind turbine can produce is largely based on wind velocity using this equation: Power = ½ ρAV 3 ρ = air density; ~1 kg m^3 A = swept area (π r^2 ) V = velocity (m s-1) Power is measured in Watts Larger wind turbine = more power Higher wind speed = lots more power

• (^) UK has 9,220 wind

turbines (Oct 2018) with a

capacity for 20.1 gigawatts

• 6 th

largest producer of

wind power in the world

• (^) In 2017 17% of UK

electricity was generated

from wind power (29% by

renewables in total)

© 2014 Syon Geographical Ltd.

25.7 MW Lauingen Energy Park in Bavarian Swabia, Germany

• (^) South of UK has ‘solar potential’ equal to Germany which generates 7% of electricity from solar PV.
• (^) Solar panels are expensive. You need a lot of them and they require rare metals such as cadmium and indium.
• (^) An average UK house uses around 3kW of energy each year – you need 12-15 solar panels to generate this much power. (^) UK solar energy potential

Cold water Hot water Steam Generator Electricity pylon Cooling tower (^) Turbine Water is heated Homes and buildings Injection well

© BGS (NERC)

• (^) ~ 190 ˚C granite 4.5km beneath Cornwall.
• (^) United Downs Geothermal Energy Project has funding to build a pilot geothermal energy plant
• (^) 10MW of electricity and 55MW of heat.
• (^) Geothermal energy beneath Cornwall could meet all of Cornwall’s demand for electricity and up to 20% of the UK’s demand.