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Poll: Brits prefer renewable energies for the future
ritish energy consumers believe
renewable energy is more cost
efficient and more reliable than
fossil or nuclear sources, the
findings of a new poll have revealed.
German market and economy research
company EuPD Research recently surveyed
1,000 British homeowners about energy
matters and photovoltaics. One of the results
is that the British prefer renewables for their
future energy supply.
Furthermore, they believe that renewable
sources are already outcompeting fossil or
nuclear sources in financial aspects.
Within the past few weeks the UK
Government green-lighted the construction of
the controversial nuclear power plant Hinkley
Point C after slashing Feed-in Tariffs for solar
power right at the beginning of the year. Those
decisions set a clear sign for the future course
of energy politics in the country.
First results of the ‘Home Owner Study
on Photovoltaics UK 2016’ by EuPD Research
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12 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
show the British wish for a transition towards
renewable energies.
The question, ‘On which energy sources
should the UK rely for future energy supply?’
was answered by more than half of the
respondents with ‘wind, solar and hydro’. Only
a third named nuclear power among the future
power sources. The fossil fuels coal and oil are
seen as backward. Less than 10% of the study
participants see these sources as part of the
future energy mix.
Moreover, the respondents believe in the
competitiveness of renewable energies. 22% of
the participants stated that they believed solar
power to be the cheapest energy source in the
UK, followed by about 17% of the respondents
naming wind.
“These recent results offer further
evidence that renewable energies are broadly
accepted by the people, while being hindered
on the political level,“ commented Dr Martin
Ammon, who heads up the energy department
at EuPD Research.
Research Analyst Inga Batton explained
some more of the results to REI.
She said: “We presented the participants
with a couple of statements about PV and the
one that found the strongest agreement was:
Regular citizens producing and consuming
their own electricity is a good thing. 44% of the
respondents fully agreed to this statement.
“This was followed by: PV systems are
expensive. With 23% fully agreeing to this.
“As for knowledge about PV systems, we
asked the participants to estimate the price
and installation time need for a PV system to
be installed on their roof (the study assumed
that in most cases this will refer to a typical
3-4kWp system).
“Over £4,000 –£6,000 was the most
common estimate with 21% of respondents.
This was followed by: Over £6,000 –£8,000
with 19% of those surveyed.
Inga added:“The average length
estimated for a PV system to be installed was
4 and a half days.”