Renewable energy breaks new records

 2 new wind turbines recently erected on the former airfield at Eye in Suffolk

2 new wind turbines recently erected on the former airfield at Eye in Suffolk

Renewable energy breaks new records in the UK, Germany and the US.  Last weekend on Sunday, its estimated that 75% of Germany’s electricity came from a a mixture of biomass, wind, solar and hydro.  And it wasn’t even a particularly sunny day.  This follows a spring where renewable energy breaks new records in both the US and UK.  In the US renewable electricity has surged to over 14%, a target that it was thought would not be reached until 2040!  In the UK as well renewable energy breaks new records with 20% of electricity coming from renewable sources.

Schoolhouse at Scoraig off grid and fitted with PV's.

Schoolhouse at Scoraig off grid and fitted with PV’s.

All this is encouraging but in both terms of climate change and energy security, but there are still issues.  The US continues to export emissions as coal and off-shoring.  So global carbon emissions rise even as renewables output soars.  The production of vast amounts of solar power in Germany is leading to grid issues which we have covered on this blog.  Nevertheless with all the issues in the Ukraine its better to have these problems than buying gas from Mr Putin.

And of course there is always energy conservation, using less is by far the best option.

Neil

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