Large-scale green energy production needed
Solar panels and water butts alone are too small to be able to help Britain meet its carbon emission target, according to a new report.
The Royal Academy of Engineering suggests that the financial outlay on such technology does not reap sufficient reward for it to be considered a shrewd investment and calls for the government to relax the rules on large scale production.
The author of the report, Doug King, acknowledges that the methods of producing green energy are positive for the environment, but feels more could be done if items such as solar panels were increased in size and more widely used.
He stated that the individual panels are nothing more than “eco-bling”, with specialist developments packed with panels.
Mr. King would like to see the aim for all homes to be carbon neutral by 2016 relaxed, providing developers make equivalent contributions to wind farms, tidal energy production and solar energy farms.
He also claims the things that save significant amounts of cash are not being done.
For example, Mr. King suggests that for a wind turbine to be effective on a home-by-home basis, each would have to be so big they would shake the property to its foundations.
The RAE report concludes that it may be best for the actual building of homes to be changed so that, rather than being designed to produce green energy, they are of the highest standard when it comes to saving energy.
High-quality wall insulation is cited as being a particularly strong way of achieving this.
Mr. King also suggests that research into the current skills of the workers expected to deliver green technology to buildings across the land is carried out and weaknesses identified.