RENEWABLE ENERGY
They may appear unremarkable to the casual observer but for Professor Mark Gaterell , recent television adverts for everyday products reveal a shift in public consciousness and an encouraging acceptance of a low-carbon future .
One advert was for a dishwasher tablet that requires no pre-rinsing : “ The pitch was ‘ you will use less water , and that ’ s good for the environment ’,” he says . “ So , when consumerism is based on the notion of ‘ buy this and you ’ ll do less harm to the environment ’ that ’ s a big change .”
Professor Gaterell says in the 30 years he ’ s been working in civil and environmental engineering , he has never seen as much momentum for renewable energy as now .
A greater public awareness around climate change combined with a cost of living crunch , caused largely by rising energy costs , is increasing the demand for fossil fuel alternatives . People are looking to protect themselves from energy price hikes , he says .
His colleague , and Professor of Power Systems Engineering , Victor Becerra , adds that public interest in renewables is also being propelled by people keen to make their own positive contribution to the environment by reducing their personal carbon footprint – as well as it being a reaction to increasing energy tariffs .
Although gas is still the predominant energy source for Britons , green power is on the rise . The deployment of offshore wind turbines is increasing , households are replacing gas boilers with heat pumps ( devices that transfer thermal energy between the outside and inside ) and the demand for solar panels is outstripping supply .
Meanwhile , important research is underway at institutions like the University of Portsmouth into increasing the energy efficiency of the built environment , along with advances in solar , hydrogen and nuclear systems .
On top of this , Senior Lecturer in Renewable Energy Systems Dr Amitava Roy notes the role of UK government policy requiring net zero carbon emissions by 2050 . He says this has provided a framework to encourage both research and consumer change .
“ The targets will help provide the security for industries to invest , and for technologies to mature quite rapidly ,” he says .
However , while technology and policy around renewables provide the necessary tools for transformation , wholesale change still needs a groundswell of public support . And this , Dr Roy says , requires two key ingredients : confidence in the product and a clear cost benefit .
ISSUE 04 / 2022 47