REGENERATING COMMUNITY ENERGY

摘要

Oit-fired community energy schemes were popular with local authorities in the 1960s and 70s in the UK, though early examples of heat networks in Glasgow and Manchester date back to the 1900s. These systems typically utilised Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engines which generate electricity and utilise the heat normally wasted by conventional power plants, delivering it to consumers via a heat network. This approach offers substantial benefits to both the environment and individuals, but the oil crisis of 1973 brought an end to the trend as tenants and local authorities struggled to find the money to fuel their central boilers. However, gas-fired CHP remains important in the UK today, with over 1,300 sites generating approximately 6 per cent of our electricity.