The UK achieves six days on clean energy

If you didn’t think renewables like solar panels and battery storage could power our future, you’d be wrong. Last quarter, Britain was powered by low-carbon energy alone for almost six days. That’s the first time since we have relied on coal to produce our electricity since 1881! This is a huge achievement and a great way to boost all our renewable energy efforts. It also sets a standard for our green energy future, giving us a measurable we can continue to improve on.

This six-day run of clean energy wasn’t the only renewable success of 2016. During the third quarter of the year, the UK was able to produce half (50.2%) of its electricity from low-carbon sources, according to the Electric Insights Quarterly report from Drax. This is up by 30% on figures from 2010 – showing how quickly things can evolve in such a short period of time. In fact, clean energy in the UK has reached a record high while carbon emissions from electricity are at an all time low. Each unit of electricity now contains less than half the carbon it did four years ago and has fallen to a low of 221kg of CO2/kWh.

At Low Carbon Energy, we couldn’t ask for a better result!

A green energy future

In recent months, the UK’s green energy efforts have included a wide range of sources. Nuclear energy has provided the largest share, at 26%, with other sources including on-shore and off-shore wind and solar also playing a major role. In fact, our wind and solar efforts have seen a six-fold increase on six years ago, with Britain now having 26 GW of wind and solar installed.

Britain’s move to a clean energy future has been noted in much literature, with The International Energy Agency calling the low-carbon solutions of 2015 a “turning point” for the planet.

The report from Drax also states that just 3% of Britain’s electricity came from coal in quarter three this year. This is down 38% from four years ago and puts Britain in good stead when our remaining power stations close in 2025.

About the move to a clean energy future, Andy Koss, Chief Executive of Drax Power says:

“There is more to do to make Britain truly low carbon.  Additional reliable, affordable, clean energy is needed on the system, along with a focus of getting the balance right. More intermittent renewables like wind and solar are crucial but they will require more flexible back up to provide homes and business with electricity on demand.”

Want to do your bit for the environment while saving money on your energy bills? To find out about low carbon energy solutions for your home, get in touch with our expert team. Our one-hour Free Energy Consultation is a great way to learn about what renewable solutions you need and how to transition to a greener future.

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