Renewables on the increase in UK

Renewable energy has hit another all time high in the UK and now makes up 9.6% of the national grids energy supply, an increase of 50% in the last year.This is a perfect example of the booming UK renewable energy market. The increase was mostly due to a 120% increase in wind energy and a 75% increase in hydroelectric.

At a time when the consumption of oil around the world is now at an all time high, despite the recent recession, it is an encouraging sign in an otherwise fossil fuel dominated world market. Last month it was reported oil consumption hit 87.4 million barrels per day during 2010, which is a 3.1% rise compared to 2009, more than making up for the decline during the recession. The good news here is that the global share of energy from oil is continuing to decrease, with global production also falling.

Total electricity use has also fallen in the UK, with net use of energy down 1.6%. This is likely due to a number of factors, with the recession and continued improvement in energy efficient products contributing.

The large rises in wind energy suggested by this news might also not be quite what it appears. Weather related variations mean it was less windy overall in early 2010. The opening of new offshore farms means that the increase is not solely due to this variation however.

Regionally, Biomass is the big winner in England, while Scotland is ahead of the curve in wind generation.