The UK government’s initiative to provide grants and affordable loans for solar panel installations to millions of homes is a significant step towards increasing renewable energy adoption and reducing carbon emissions. This move is in line with global trends in renewable energy growth and the shift towards cleaner power generation. At UNDERTWOK, we are right on track & fully aligned!
On a global scale, this initiative reflects the broader push towards renewable energy sources. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that renewable capacity will meet 35% of global power generation by 2025. Solar and wind power, along with nuclear energy, are expected to meet over 90% of the increase in global electricity demand by 2025.
The UK’s plan contributes to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector. The IEA forecasts that global power-sector CO2 emissions will plateau through to 2025, despite reaching an all-time high in 2022. This stabilisation is largely due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity worldwide.
Now, when we think about living life under 2 kWh per person per day, the UK’s solar panel initiative could play a crucial part in helping households reduce their energy consumption from the grid. By generating their own electricity, homeowners can significantly lower their reliance on traditional power sources and potentially achieve or come closer to the 2 kWh per person per day target. This aligns with the global trend of increased electrification and the push for more efficient energy use in various sectors, including heating and transportation.
The initiative also addresses the challenge of energy storage (which we are spearheading). Battery storage is very important for managing the intermittency of renewable power sources like solar because you can have one sunny day, and then a stream of cloudy ones. As renewable energy capacity grows, the need for reliable energy storage systems becomes more pressing, and 2025 could be a breakout year for such technologies.
References
Energy Information Administration (2023) Solar power predictions for 2023. Washington, D.C.: EIA. Available at: https://www.eia.gov (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
International Energy Agency (2023) Electricity Market Report 2023. Paris: IEA. Available at: https://www.iea.org (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
Met Office (2013) What is climate change? Exeter: Met Office. Available at: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
Rystad Energy (2024) Shaping energy markets in 2025: 12 trends to watch in the year ahead.Oslo: Rystad Energy. Available at: https://www.rystadenergy.com (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
Statistical Review of World Energy (2023) Global electricity generation statistics. London: Energy Institute. Available at: https://www.energyinst.org (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
Wright, P. (2020) ‘Visible and socially-just pedagogy: implications for mathematics teacher education’, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 52(6), pp. 733–751. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com (Accessed: 9 January 2025).
