The concept of renewable energy is not new, and there are many people who are powering their entire homes and businesses with these resources. Still, the concept is still somewhat of a novelty to people throughout the world, and so there’s a lot that still needs to be done to ensure that more and more people start making use of this energy source. The UK and the U.S. have been making some great strides in bringing attention to these resources, however, and there have been some exciting developments taking place on this front in recent years.
Renewable Energy in the UK
The UK has worked hard to bring renewable energy resources to the forefront and advocate the use of clean energy to the public. Professionals believe that the UK is one of the countries in the world that might benefit the most from clean energy and so recently there has been a bid to complete an experiment involving the largest recorded amount of energy storage ever attempted.
Storing renewable energy is an interesting subject, because while the UK has been quite vocal about the need for clean energy, not a lot has been said about the storage of this energy once it has been collected.
According to Bret Williams;
Storage is not typically something that generates alternative energy news headlines, but is an issue of paramount importance for countries that are becoming more reliant on clean energy.
Since the average electrical grid isn’t actually compatible with the technology related to clean energy, new storage facilities have to be designed and constructed, particularly since using the conventional storage units is actually leading to a loss in electricity.
Support for the Experiment
Currently, about 13 million pounds is being funneled into this new experiment that will make use of a 6 megawatt battery and lithium manganese technology, and has been designed to store energy for a lengthy period of time. The energy itself will be converted from wind and solar panels that are being used throughout the UK at the moment.
Individuals will have to wait until 2016 in order to find out about the results of the experiment but researchers are very positive about the benefits that it will yield.
Renewable Energy a Big Hit in the U.S.
It is not only the U.K. that has proudly displayed its interest in renewable energy; the U.S. has currently hit an all time high with regards to its renewable energy production for 2012. According to journalist Laura Poppick;
A combination of government incentives and technological innovations has helped solar and wind power grow in the United States in recent years…
Poppick states that government incentives have also played a big role in increasing the popularity of alternative energy options, with solar energy production rising by just below 50% between 2011 and 2012.
Energy Analyst A.J. Simon recently stated that;
I attribute the steady growth to technological advancements as well as tax incentives and state mandates for renewable energy,
It is believed that this rise will continue for the next few years, not only because of the incentives, but also due to these resources becoming more available.
Just before people get too excited about these results, it should be noted that the U.S. still only turns to renewable energy about 2% of the time; Spain and Denmark, on the other hand, turn to these resources to cover about 30% of their energy usage.
Renewable Energy is the Future
It seems that countries throughout the world are fast being made aware of the benefits of renewable energy and there is no telling just how valuable these resources will be in the future.
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