Renewables beat coal for first time in United Kingdom electricity mix

The new figures show renewable energy is the second largest source of energy in the UK.

The hike in renewable energy production in the second quarter was due to favorable weather conditions, including higher wind speeds, rainfall and sun hours, as well as more turbines and solar panels having been installed, the report said.

Scrapping of “grandfathering” in the United Kingdom, expected to be in effect from April next year, will be applicable for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects below 5MW capacity.

Renewable Energy Generation said it will book a minimum of GBP7.0 million in impairments related to those changes in its full year results to June 30.

Wind and output rose by 52.2 per cent, while hydro increased by 27 per cent. Overall renewables output in the first six months of 2015 was 11,658 GWh, according to the statistics.

The surge in renewables share came as coal’s share of generation fell from 28.2 per cent to 20.5 per cent in the same quarter. Gas provided 30%.

The UK Government is putting plans to decarbonise Scotland’s energy system at risk, according to Scottish Government energy minister Fergus Ewing. “This flexibility would ensure companies and communities are not penalised unfairly by the UK Government policy change where they have already invested”.

DECC’s statistical releases showed that while renewable energy generation soared to just under 20TWh in Q2 2015 – an increase of more than 50% on the 13.2TWh recorded in Q2 2014 – the consumer energy price index has remained largely stagnant over the past year.

McCaffery said: “As the transition to clean electricity continues apace, we’d welcome clearer signals from Government that it’s backing the installation of vital new projects”.

However, she said this government has so far provided a series of “disappointing” announcements, which “betray a lack of positive ambition”.

“If Ministers want to see good statistics like we’ve had today continuing into the years ahead, they have to knuckle down, listen to the high level of public support we enjoy, and start making positive announcements on wind, wave and tidal energy”.

“Scotland continues to make strong progress in the renewable electricity sector, but there remains much more to be done on renewable heat where now only 3 per cent of our heating demand comes from renewables”.

A RECORD amount of green electricity was generated in Scotland in the first half of this year.