Hawaii
Energy Policy Forum > 2002
Articles
Britain Earmarks Funds for Solar Power
LONDON, April 1, 2002 - As part of an effort to dramatically
increase the amount of photovoltaic power in the United Kingdom
over the next three years, the British government announced
last week that it is providing 20 million pounds to promote
the installation of solar power cells on the rooftops throughout
the nation.
Encouraging the use of photovoltaic systems is
part of Britain's larger program meant to encourage wide
spread use and implementation
of renewable energy systems in general. By promoting renewable
energies, the government is hoping to curb Britain's emissions
of carbon dioxide, which is suspected as one of the leading
contributors to global climate change.
Patricia Hewitt, Britain's
Trade and Industry Secretary, said that the money is part
of a larger 100 million pound
pledge made by Prime Minister Tony Blair this past November
to fund the development of renewable energy projects. Hewitt
also stated that she hopes the funds will help lower the
cost of solar technologies in the coming years, making them
a more economical option in energy production.
"
This money will not only contribute to the UK achieving its
ambitious environmental goals, but also help the UK photovoltaic
industry develop the technology to allow us to compete for
this massive global market," Hewitt said in a statement.
The United Kingdom's installed solar capacity in 2000 was
roughly 2 megawatts. By comparison, approximately 100 megawatts
of installed capacity is added to the rooftops of buildings
in Japan annually, according to Britain's Photovoltaic
Association.
Currently, the price of installing solar panels
on an average family home in Britain runs between $14,500
and $17,300.
This makes the pay-back period extremely long, and has
decreased people's willingness to pay for the system.
However, in 2000
the British government announced its Climate Change Strategy,
which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions 23
percent by 2010. A target of producing 10 percent of the
country's
energy from renewable sources by the end of the decade
was also established under the program, which should
help create
incentives for adopting renewable energy systems in the
home.
|
