The renewables industry was set for a devastating year, with the Government seemingly withdrawing from the sector and instead imposing a reduction in subsidies. However, the renewable energy industry has continued to thrive, leading to a number of record-breaking achievements.
The UK government has been heavily criticised for the cuts it has imposed on solar and other renewables, yet despite being set for a fall renewable energies actually managed to outperform themselves when compared to the previous year.
Renewable energy made up 24.7% of the UK’s total electricity generated in 2015, an increase from its performance the previous year, where it generated 19.1% of the country’s electricity. In fact, Scotland even exceeded the renewables target set by its ministers – the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s latest consumption figures show that more than half (57%) of Scotland’s electricity came from renewables.
The top performers for the renewables industry have been the solar and wind sectors. Last year, wind energy managed to break its previous records for total electricity generated weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually, mainly thanks to a particularly windy period in Q4 2015. Solar energy also contributed to the record-breaking year for renewables with an increase in the total amount of electricity it generated over 2014.
These remarkable strides have caught the attention of many, and as a result the UK Government has issued a blueprint for the possible deployment of future tidal energy projects off the coasts of England and Wales. Scottish Power has also expressed its enthusiasm for the renewable energy business in the UK, where it intends to invest £6.3bn over the next 5 years.
The UK is not alone either – Norway have also shown their commitment to the industry, announcing in February that the planned construction of Europe’s largest wind project is set to begin this year, with the aim of completing the project by 2020.
Despite what should have been a serious setback, renewables continue to push forward, gaining a wealth of supporters in the process. The UK Government has been told that it must try harder to support the sector, and 2016 will undoubtedly be an interesting year in determining the future of renewables.