Category Archives: Renewables

One thing we have learnt this week – railway electrification

There was an article this week in the Guardian on the re-purposing of “Pacer” Trains.  A government minister has suggested converting them into village community halls amongst  other uses.  For any readers who are not familiar with these trains I’ll … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – VAT on solar

I’m extremely pro Europe and want to remain but I would be the first to concede the EU does not get everything right.  One thing its got very very wrong is VAT on solar and other energy saving materials.  This … Continue reading

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Global energy transformation

The International Renewable Energy Agency has produced a report called “Global Energy Transformation”.  There are number of headlines being pulled out of this report, but the main one is that renewable capacity will make up most generation capacity by 2050 … Continue reading

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Coal power is on its way out

Coal power is on its way out.  Not due to any renewable subsidies but because its now more expensive.  And this is the US.  A report there says that currently 75% of coal fired electricity production is more expensive than … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – banning gas boilers

Banning gas boilers and gas cookers from 2025 is the suggestion UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has just made.  It has suggested using low carbon energy sources instead and not even connecting he houses to the gas grid.   … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – renewables to dominate by 2040

Renewables to dominate electricity production by 2040.  That’s the main conclusion in the BP energy outlook 2019.  The graph shows the data provided by BP and replotted by me.  There a number of things to say about this.  Firstly some … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – fossil fuel subsidies

Guess which country in Europe gives the highest fossil fuel subsidies?  No I wasn’t surprised either – its the UK.  Now guess which country subsidises renewables.  This time its easy to guess.  Germany.  The EU commission has produced a report … Continue reading

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Energy policy is collapsing

The government’s energy policy is collapsing.   With Brexit not much attention has been paid to what has happened over the last week.  Its looks like Hitachi has pulled the plug on new nuclear at Wyfla and therefore at Oldbury.  These … Continue reading

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Declining renewables output

Something I have been thinking about for a while is declining renewables output.  I said last year that I thought my solar PV output was declining in a previous blog.  I read an article in the Guardians’ weatherwatch in which … Continue reading

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One thing we have learnt this week – Daylight robbery

I wasn’t going to do a post until after Christmas but occasionally you come across something so annoying and disturbing that it changes your mind.  If what is planned to happen happens it can only be described as daylight robbery.  … Continue reading

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