The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan

[Andy Hunt]

Just wondered if anyone has read it, who might be following it.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/Media/viewfil...pdf&filetype=4

It seems ambitious to say the least, quite a surprise in some ways, but I'm not really sure what to make of it TBH.

It starts off quite encouraging, that the UK has cut its carbon emissons by 21% since 1990, which is pretty good really, shows it can be done. A lot of this though has been due to a big switch to gas generators instead of coal, something which has started to swing back to coal again in recent years as our gas supplies get more depleted and more expensive. And the recession is cutting energy use.

Then it goes on to detail the various kinds of renewable energy technologies which the country is going to switch over to. There are a few million pounds here and there to support the development of existing technologies, nothing like what has gone to the banks in bail-outs though.

The government seem to think they can force a massive switch to investment in renewables through non-taxation carbon trading schemes like the European ETS and the new Carbon Reduction Commitment, plus an increasing legal obligation on the energy suppliers.

The graph showing carbon cuts, which really kick in after 2012, seems to worryingly resemble the schedule for closure of old nuclear and coal power plants though. So any new coal it is presumed will have carbon capture and storage fitted (far from reality at present).

As most of the carbon cuts are on the heavy industrial and energy generation side of things, it does seem to be a bit of an 'all (or at least most) eggs in one basket' though. Renewable energy is notoriously difficult to produce in industrial scale quantities, on a steady and reliable basis. There are ways round it but tricky for industrial processes.

I can't help thinking that maybe retaining some gas and nuclear power stations, adjacent to industrial sites and supplying said sites with steam and hot water as well as electricity, on private distribution networks would be a good thing.

But I'm really not sure current levels of consumption in domestic homes, shops etc can really be maintained. It might end up being more of a question of mini-grids, with each locality generating as much as it can from local renewable sources. There would still be a national grid as backup, but I just can't see the sense in industrial scale energy supporting domestic consumption when it leaves industry priced out of the market, which is what has been happening for a little while now.

Why should we pull out all the stops and chuck our remaining resources into supporting a consumer economy buying cheap trinkets from China, where industrial pollution standards are so much lower?

Just can't help thinking this plan is just business as usual, really. And the BAU model is looking a bit tatty around the edges these days really isn't it.

[PaulS]

here are details of the proposed feed-in tariff for microgeneration from systems like small wind turbines and solar photovoltaics. The new tariff will pay for all energy generated by your system, *irrespective of if you use it yourself or sell it back to the grid*. The amounts paid are *in addition to* any saving you will make by purchasing less electricity from your supplier and any income you earn from selling your surplus power to your electricity supplier.

The key points of the announcement are:

- 36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW and 28p/kWh
for systems up to 10kW.
- 23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.
- Replaces the current ROC system which pays 10p/kWh.
- Effective as of the 1st April 2010, but all systems commissioned from now on will qualify.
- Systems installed from now until April 2010 *will be eligible for both LCBP grants _AND_ the new tariff*.

A typical home solar photovoltaic system of 3kW, generating
approximately 2,300kWh per annum will therefore earn around £1,000 per annum, which is an additional £600, dramatically reducing payback times. (from about 20 years to about 12 years)

A typical small farm wind turbine rated at 5kW at a good location will generate estimated 13,000kWh per annum and will therefore earn about £3,000 per year, representing about 2-3 year payback, 5-7 year payback if you go with one of the majors and have everything installed by them. - That is in addition to saving you more of less your entire electricity bill!
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Here are some quotes from the paper:

Revenue from sales of electricity and ROCs from household microgeneration are exempt from income tax

We are working to have the FITs in place by April 2010

We will also allow eligible renewable installations, completed during the period between this Strategy’s publication date (15 July 2009) and the date FITs become operational, to benefit from the new support as if installation had been completed on the date the relevant scheme launches

Householders will not be required to pay back grants (already received)

We will consult on how the new support schemes
will affect installations already in place as of the date of this publication (i.e. lobby to get existing installations included!)

Government to produce National Policy
Statements (NPS), which will set out the Government’s policy on energy infrastructure to be used as the primary consideration when making decisions on proposed infrastructure (planning applications)

We expect regions (i.e. Cornwall)
to set targets for renewable energy capacity in line with national targets, or better where possible.

Reducing the number of small-scale developments • that require full
planning permission. i.e. extension of permitted
development rights (PDR) to business and public services. Some forms of distributed generation up to a certain size are already subject to PDR and we are currently assessing whether small-scale wind, air source heat pumps, and
other renewable technologies could be included.

We will support regions to review their targets for renewable energy and take a proactive, evidencebased
approach to identify appropriate opportunities for renewables as well as any genuine constraints to deployment

Scheme to provide pioneering motorists with help worth in
the region of £2,000 to £5,000 to buy electric and plug-in hybrid cars – when they hit the showrooms, which we expect from 2011 onwards

Algae Biofuels Challenge: a multi-million pound investment aimed at commercialising the use of microalgae biofuels by 2020. Algae can be grown in salt, brackish or waste water. Under favourable conditions some species double in
size every day and therefore algae could provide an oil yield per hectare 5-10 times that from any conventional energy crop.

Encouraging Adoption: Households, communities, businesses and organisations can play a part in tackling climate change and ensuring a secure energy supply by taking up microscale and community-scale renewables, from a local wind farm to a biomasspowered district heating network, solar panels or a heat pump in the house, or small-scale-wind to power a supermarket or school.

New Feed-In Tariffs will, from April 2010, provide guaranteed, long-term support payments to renewable electricity projects up to 5 MW in the form of a simple, hassle-free scheme.

From April 2011 a new Renewable Heat Incentive will provide similar incentives for individuals, community groups and businesses to install renewable heat technologies at all scales.

Encouraging community approaches: Individuals, groups and organisations can play a key role in encouraging others to
take up renewable solutions through exemplar deployments, community pressure (e.g. parents on schools) and more concerted action such as the Transition Towns and Greening Campaign movements

Transitions towns is a grassroots movement which aims to equip communities for the dual challenges of climate change and peak oil. The movement currently has member communities in a number of countries worldwide.

Rob Hopkins of Transition has done an analysis of the Government's UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, giving it 6 out of 10. See link below.

http://transitionculture.org/2009/07/17 ... tion-plan/