The UK energy industry has not been nationalised for a number of years now, with many crying at out during the current energy crisis that we would be better off should the industry be run by the government.
But, is this possible?
Can we come together and distribute one of our most precious resources efficiently?
Well, there are several case studies that point towards this being a distinct possibility.
Case Study Kauai
The Island of Kauai, part of the Hawaiian archipelago, has taken a massive step towards total decarbonisation by getting rid of its diesel fuel generators in favour of a battery grid storage system. The incredible installation has been provided by the tech giants Tesla, with the US company allowing for excess electricity generated by solar panels throughout the day to now be stored and used to power the island overnight.
The decision was made several years ago by Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, which is the island’s energy supplier. This move has allowed the island as a whole to move entirely away from diesel generators, which have been used in the past to power the island past the point of sunset. As you can imagine, as a Hawaiian island, there is plenty of sun for solar generation. Kauai receives around 240 days of sunshine per year, so photovoltaic generations systems are ideally suited as a means of renewable, clean energy generation.
The installation replaced around 1.6 million gallons of diesel burned each year, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the island (while also reducing the cost of energy from 15.5 cents to around 13.9 cents per KwH).
This project isn’t the first that Tesla have been involved in, with the remote American Samoan island of Ta’u receiving a similar solar panel and battery installation. A battery farm in California adds further gravitas to their considerable CV.
The battery installation is made up of 270 Tesla power packs in conjunction with a solar panel array (generating 13MW). This setup provides more than power, but also drives a discussion and debate around the potential of renewable energy technologies and storage solutions.
The Tesla power pack is another collaborative community effort, the product of a research and development partnership with car manufacturer Toyota, who have helped Tesla establish themselves in the energy industry as well as the automotive market.
Of course, the large personality of CEO Elon Musk has been the driving force behind the move into renewable energy and storage. The close links between renewable generation, energy storage, and electric vehicles is clear for all to see. Mr Musk is a divisive character, when he is not offering to directly solve a worldwide crisis, you will hear him talking about colonising Mars or most recently – an aggressive take-over and clear out of Twitter.
With this move came a statement of intent alongside. Elon Musk also offered to step up and solve the energy crisis facing the South Australian regional government, and the country’s federal government. South Australia at the time were suffering from black outs and energy shortages around the clock due to higher-than-forecasted energy demand and lower-than-expected wind energy generation.
Must offered to resolve this issue by promising a 100MW battery storage system within 100 days of the contract being signed. Ultimately, the confidence to deliver a vast project like this in such a short timeframe is either foolhardy or inspired – especially when you throw into the mix he was willing to deliver the entire system for free if it is not installed in the timeframe.
Case Study Gamlingay
Slightly further back in time, a group of people from the village of Gamlingay (Cambridgeshire) set up their own wind turbine for their village. This happened back in 2013, and like all good ideas it started with a simple conversation over a pint in the pub…
The turbine was installed for three reasons;
- In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the village. It was estimated the turbine would reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to produce electricity in the village by 10%.
- To raise money for the local community by selling excess energy produced from the turbine.
- To create a solid investment opportunity for individuals and businesses in the area.
A small group of locals took on the important role of securing buy-in from the rest of the village by holding regular public meetings, canvassing and leafletting households, and creating an online forum for enquiries.
Mike Brettle, one of the project organisers, had this to say on how the community turbine has been performing over the last few years and what benefits the village is seeing –
A small group took on the role of securing buy-in from the rest of the village, holding regular public meetings, leafleting all households, and creating an online forum for enquiries.
“It’s great to see how the Turbine fund is improving things across the village – long-lasting things like floodlights for the football pitch, and new lighting for the church…
It has been great for the village and has had a lot of benefits. In the early days, we had a few objections from people in the village. Many of those people have since said they are happy with the results of the turbine after all, and some have even become friends of mine…
The initial reason for setting up the turbine was to reduce our impact on the environment, and we still see that as a huge benefit. It generates 10% of the village’s electricity which is about 206 houses per year…
We might look at other options for generating renewable energy. We might also look at options for storing the energy which the turbine produces – but we don’t have any concrete plans yet!”