AEA launches UK energy map and league table
AEA has launched a new online map and league table to reveal the take up of microgeneration technology across the UK. The AEA Microgeneration Index shows the speed of small scale renewable installations in each council area.
Using data on schemes that have applied for Feed-in Tariff (FIT) accreditation, the Index enables users to analyse microgeneration installations across the UK. A series of top ten tables also provides a summary of microgeneration performance of the leading local authority areas.
For each local authority the data shows the percentage split between wind, hydro, solar photovoltaic (PV), anaerobic digestion (AD) and micro combined heat and power (CHP) installations. And it compares this with the total microgeneration in the UK.
Colin McNaught, AEA's Knowledge Leader for renewable energy, said:
"The AEA Microgeneration Index is an invaluable tool for those following the uptake of the FIT and microgeneration projects across the UK. Our analysis highlights that total capacity continues to grow, reaching just under 72 MWe, a 64% increase since September. Although progress can be seen to be slow against policy expectations."
Data highlighted shows that solar PV had the highest growth - an increase of 84% to 48 MWe, wind capacity increasing by 34% to 14.3 MWe and hydro capacity increased by 27% to 9 MWe. The first two AD schemes have been installed, one at 140 kWe the other at 526 kWe. The number of micro CHP installations rose from 5 to 30, bringing the total installed capacity to 30 kWe.
Orkney area had the highest installed capacity at just over 2 MWe having registered two 900 kWe wind turbines and a number of smaller wind and solar systems. Cornwall has the next highest capacity at 1.6 MWe, which is largely solar PV. Other regions show different patterns, with solar PV dominating in urban areas and a more diverse range of technologies in rural areas.
The Index provides insight highly relevant to the UK Government's forthcoming FIT review - where £40 million of cost reductions are to be found. AEA also provides more tailored reports for organisations who seek to find out more about the location and pattern of microgeneration installations in their area.
The FIT scheme was introduced in April 2010 and aims to incentivise the use of small-scale, low carbon electricity generation (under 5 MWe). Together with the Renewable Heat Incentive, it has a major role to play in helping the UK make a successful transition to a low carbon economy.
Go to the AEA Microgeneration Index
Full press release (PDF)