Exporting electricity from Solar Photovoltaic Systems in England-Practices and Concerns

摘要

About 26 per cent of greenhouse gas emission in UK is caused by electricity generation, 75 per cent of which comes from coal and gas powered power [1]. Besides the commitments under the Kyoto protocol, the Government has announced a target of 20 per cent carbon reduction in the next five years leading to 60% reduction by 2050. Under the Renewable Obligation, all electricity suppliers are expected to provide 15 per cent of their supply from renewable sources by 2016. Currently only 4.2 per cent of the electricity comes from renewables [2], considering the total electricity demand in 2005, which was about 400,000 GWh, one is looking at an additional renewable contribution in excess of 44,000 GWh a year at current demand level, but the inevitable demand growth is bound to increase this target further. Grid tied renewable power generation systems like solar photovoltaic is being promoted in the Country with Government grants to meet the carbon reduction targets and decrease the impact of climate change. This technology being weather dependent, may not always generate electricity when the household's electricity demand is high and that resulted in the concept of exporting excess energy to the National Grid. If this is to provide the desired results, the relevant electricity supplier has to agree to buy the exported energy at an attractive rate and the procedures involved need to be simple.