Posts Tagged ‘Green Energy’

ARCHIVE ARTICLE MAY 2009

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How green should we go?

Taken from, based upon, May 09’ article at RICS Website at www.rics.org

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The Government’s announcement last summer of a renewable energy strategy was a welcome step in the right direction however we should not be fooled into thinking that this will be the answer to all of the UK’s future energy generation issues.

Seven thousand wind turbines may well change the face of our landscape and the colour of some of our energy but it is not a universal panacea, not least because they have to be built and operate to full capacity to achieve anticipated targets – both build and performance are not yet certainties.

The UK has been far too slow in waking up to the need not only to consider green energy but to take key decisions that give a clear direction and stability to the UK’s future energy production.  The resultant uncertainty deters rather than encourages the major investment needed to update and move forward. Both here and worldwide we already face an energy gap – where demand will outstrip supply both in terms of power and the raw materials to generate it unless we move to new technologies.

In the UK, we have major power stations (coal, gas and nuclear) fast approaching decommissioning dates without suitable replacement. Back in 2004 Jack Straw, as then foreign secretary, recognised publicly that by 2020 we could be importing three quarters of our energy needs. However despite this, and international recognition that security of energy supplies is becoming ever more critical, any debate on an indigenous energy policy remains absent.

Our politicians have to be brave and decisive in their policy making. We need an energy strategy that recognises and commits to a broad mix of energy sources and we have to harness our planning system to enable timely delivery of new power stations. It is hoped that the proposed Independent Planning Commission will assist in this and whilst fossil fuels are demonised because of carbon emissions and nuclear continues to be an unpopular option in this country, we cannot rule them out. Nuclear could be attractive given that it does not emit CO2. We also still have significant untapped seams of coal in the UK that could be developed, particularly if clean coal technology was given proper investment.

Undoubtedly solar, renewables, wind and water power all have an increased role to play. Solar currently tends to be at micro-generation level in the UK yet we should look to the research and experimentation happening on the continent.

Lower levels of sunlight are required for the newer technologies and there are grand schemes and exciting ideas ahead. Combined with predicted climate change we will no longer be able to claim that we don’t get enough sunshine to make this viable! (PROinspect comment = Solar systems not only heat water but create power : many people don’t know this!).

Power from water, or waves to be precise, is subject to several studies at the moment with both wave hubs and the Severn Barrage on the agenda. They are potentially very valuable contributors to our future energy generation but have yet to be fully developed and proven.

For both strategic and local energy generation great challenges lie ahead. Strategically government must firmly lead the way and take decisions regardless of political outcomes. Locally we must offer incentives to encourage micro generation where appropriate but also persuade people to take responsibility for their own energy consumption to make what we do have go further.

In the time it took you to read this article the world used 1,000,000 barrels of oil!

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PROinspect comment =

So, will you, will all of us, begin to take Domestic housing EPCs more seriously? Will we begin to at least rebut Public cynicism of such initiatives? Are you capable of becoming positive about Energy?

The Government are hedging their bets in that “the powers that be” are beginning the process of introducing new qualifications – such as Domestic Energy Adviser – somebody who can tell you how to go about making energy savings in environmentally favourable, effective and practical ways.

Energy issues will not go away and whatever the future of HIPs it seems inevitable that energy will remain part of the selling and letting process: personally I see nothing wrong with this but remain staggered that the Public remain unconvinced on this issue, as well as on the issue of private surveys – it certainly seems to me that property condition advice is more important than detailed energy advice.

Perhaps I am bias but the number of times that I see clients eyes being opened up when a call them to talk about condition issues they knew nothing about is alarming.

As I pen these comments I have just taken two calls – both from Purchasers who have seen my EPCs on their purchase home and wanted to ask questions! Although this doubles the number of calls I have taken since HIPs went live, it does hearten me to a small extent. Our collective task must be to work on this stat to raise public awareness – on both condition and energy issues.

I watched BBC Countryfile on Sunday – Sheep farmers not immunizing their herds because no blue-tongue problem exists “at the moment”: you can be right some of the time, but not all the time. Shouldn’t we change our views NOW, not later? The choice is yours. Hope-for-the-best or make an educated decision based on fact and knowledge?