The Labour party, if elected, has committed to setting up GB Energy, a new state-owned investment in the energy system. As a UK taxpayer and as a clean energy obsessive, I want to ensure that my money, if being invested, is being employed as well as it can be for maximum social, environmental and economic…

The UK’s distribution network operators are the companies which own and operate the local wire systems to which all homes and most buildings are connected. The current 2023 to 2028 settlement period determined by Ofgem (RIIO-ED2) which sets income and performance expectations for these networks provides ‘£3.2bn in network upgrades to support the rollout of…

First published by the Royal United Services Institute on 30th January 2024 With the UK’s gas dependence fully unmasked by the Russian assault on Ukraine, it is essential that the financial and security costs associated with importing gas, and the security value of clean heating and energy efficiency, are reflected in government energy policy decisions.…

It’s pretty obvious that in order to decarbonise heating, we’re going to need a lot of heat pumps. Air-source, ground-source, air to air, air to water, big ones connected to heat networks – all may have a role in making the most heat out of low carbon electricity. Yet despite us knowing of their importance…

Following some public discussions, and media requests I’ve developed some thoughts on infrared heating and considered what it is, and why it’s unlikely to be an important future heating technology. What is infrared heating? IR heating emits infrared radiation and differs to what most of use have in our homes where we have radiators, so…

In this post I’ll consider what is going on in the global energy market, local implications and how it may affect plans for heat decarbonisation. It’s UK focussed but will be applicable to other countries with a heavy gas reliance. TLDR: Go as fast as you can on energy efficiency and renewables. The context The…

Even if the UK meets its goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and other countries follow similar paths, the risk of pushing the world beyond 1.5°C of warming is still significant. The difference between 1.5°C and 2°C is genuinely upsetting (including, but not limited to, expected irreversible damage to key ecosystems such as coral reefs and…

By Richard Lowes and Oscar Fitch-Roy, University of Exeter Energy Policy Group, 27th of January 2021 Dramatic falls in the cost of wind energy make it a strategically important form of energy for the UK which benefits from a globally significant wind resource; Electrifying heating utilising offshore wind as a basis supports net zero goals and…

Introduction BEIS released a suite of documents regarding ‘clean heating’ policy last Tuesday including most importantly details of what will follow on from the RHI[1]. This policy consultation comes in advance of a long awaited energy White Paper and in advance of a heat and buildings framework expected to be released later this year. We…

It’s pretty obvious that in order to decarbonise heating, we’re going to need a lot of heat pumps. Even the historically quiet-on-heat Ofgem said it yesterday[1].  Air-source, ground-source, air to air, air to water, big ones connected to heat networks – all may have a role in making the most heat out of low carbon…