Renewable Energy in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The United Kingdom is particularly well endowed with renewable energy sources relating to wind, waves and tide as well as the normal waste products arising from an industrialized society. These and other renewable energy sources have much technological scope for development but less scope for economic use. Government support for these industries has been significant in recent years in allowing a number of schemes to become commercially possible. The technologies are diverse, the design engineering is in its early stages in many cases and the extent of the eventual integration of such energy sources into existing energy supply systems is not easy to foresee. Aspects of the economic, institutional and environmental factors influencing the exploitation of renewable energy sources for electricity generation are reviewed along with an assessment of the present developments in the various technologies. The need for further support within a long-term view of the whole energy supply scene is stressed as necessary to balance shorter-term commercial considerations.

Keywords

renewable energy commercial considerations environmental impacts energy supply options economics of renewables renewables technology

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