Why renewable energy is more important than ever in 2020

Renewable energy has always been a valuable opportunity for UK businesses, but 2020 marks the start of a whole new era. For this year and beyond, changing public attitudes and governmental initiatives will have a significant effect on the renewable energy sector. Commercial solar panels in particular are set to ben more beneficial for businesses than ever – and here are a few key reasons why!

Brexit and energy security

Love it or hate it, Brexit is set to send significant shockwaves through UK industries and economies in the coming months. While there’s some speculation about how Brexit will affect energy bills, there’s still lingering uncertainty around the details (at least at the time of writing). The EU supplies about 5% of the energy that the UK uses within a given year, via the EU Internal Energy Market. In the event of a no-deal, new trading agreements will need to be formed between the UK and the EU. We also won’t be able to influence any new policies in favour of the UK, so there’s also that to take into account!

Now, obviously Brexit is a sensitive and still sharply divisive topic. Whatever your views on the issue though, an objective truth is that there are likely to be some big market changes coming. You can insulate your business against these by increasing your energy security – and one of the best ways to do that is by generating your own electricity through commercial solar panels.

CSR and the climate crisis

The climate emergency is set to reach a new stage in 2020, and public attitudes are changing. National and global protests underline how important the issue is to millions of people, including UK consumers – who are becoming ever more savvy about where they shop. Recent research by software giant Adobe found that “the UK cares about the environment, and shoppers are more likely to favour retailers that don’t use single use plastics (32%), limit their supply chain emissions (29%) and minimise packaging (47%).”

With emissions forming a vital pillar of a company’s environmental responsibilities, commercial solar panels therefore provide a perfect way for businesses to demonstrate their Corporate Social Responsibility, which can already give them a valuable leg up on their competitors.

Reap rewards from the Smart Export Guarantee

It’s common knowledge by now that the Feed In Tariff came to an end in April 2019, and for a while it had no substitute. However, in January 2020 marks the start of the Smart Export Guarantee. It’s similar to the Feed In Tariff in that it allows participants to sell excess electricity back to the National Grid. Unlike the Feed In Tariff, though, the SEG isn’t based on subsidies from the government. Instead, it sets out obligations for licensed electricity suppliers to offer a tariff to homeowners, business owners and organisations, and allows them to set their own prices. The idea is that the supplier with the best tariff will probably get the most business – letting businesses with commercial solar panels reap the rewards from natural marketplace competition.

Here at Low Carbon Energy, we’ve got over 30 years of combined experience with solar panels, so you can count on us to be able to create a system that’s specifically tailored for the requirements of your premises, providing maximum efficiency and return on investment. Feel free to give us a call today on 01282 421 489 to see how we can help you move towards cheap, green, unlimited energy!