Warming to Renewable Energy: Policies to Promote Renewable Heat in the UK
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Hawkins, Henry - Warming To Renewable Energy.pdf (430.0Kb)
Date
2012Item status
Restricted AccessAuthor
Hawkins, Henry R.
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Abstract
In 2009, the UK government set a target of achieving 15% of overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, as part of the EU's goals of reducing emission levels within the EU and increasing consumption from renewable energy sources. As of 2011, the UK obtains 3.3% of overall energy consumption from renewable sources, mostly in the form of electricity (DECC 2011e). Renewable heat sources comprise just 20% of this 3.3%, and have experienced slow growth in the UK in recent years (DECC 2011a). Policies rarely focus on renewable heat, with most efforts going toward electricity, though the UK has recently taken steps to address this issue, creating both the Renewable Heat Incentive (2011) and the Green Deal (2012) that focus on increasing renewable heat use (DECC 2010, 2011a).
Other countries in the EU gain large percentages of heat from renewable sources, or have managed to promote significant growth rates in recent years with targeted policies. This dissertation will analyse the potential of renewable heat technologies currently available in the UK, and consider how lessons learned from other countries can be used to design effective policies to promote renewable heat in the UK.