News Feature: Renewables
News Feature: Renewables
Renewable power is now cost
competitive with fossil fuels
Daikin launches
new central
London office
Renewable power generation
technologies are now cost
competitive with fossil fuels
and innovation is gathering
pace across the sector, finds a
new report by Lloyd’s Register.
But which technologies will
have the most impact on the
industry?
The drive towards sustainability has never
been more urgent – and technology
will continue to play a crucial role. The
Lloyd’s Register Technology Radar – Low
Carbon, published last month, examined
the outlook for renewables, grid and
infrastructure, and energy storage.
The research sought the insights and
opinions of leaders across the sector,
as well as the views of almost 600
professionals and experts around the world
– from utilities and distributors through to
operators and equipment manufacturers.
Respondents were asked to rate a
number of technologies in terms of their
potential impact, the amount of time it
would take for these technologies to hit
the market, and how likely they are to
be adopted once they do. Respondents
were also asked on reflect on the pace and
success of innovation in their sector - and
what they see as the major drivers and
blockers.
Key findings include:
• Low carbon generation technologies are
cost competitive. 70 per cent of renewables
respondents say that renewables are now
reaching cost parity with fossil fuels.
• Solar cell technology is likely to have
a major impact, and soon. Renewables
respondents are most optimistic about
the potential of advances in solar cell
technology - and the likelihood of
adoption.
• Software advances will be instrumental
8 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
Above: Solar cell technology poised to have a major impact
in transmission and distribution. They are
seen by respondents as the innovation
that will be the quickest to arrive and the
most likely to be adopted. Blockchain
could reshape the way we think about the
transmission and distribution of power by
enabling a new era of peer-to-peer low
carbon generation.
• It is electrical technologies that will
transform storage, rather than mechanical
storage or chemical technology
innovations. In particular, respondents
expect supercapacitors, which will rapidly
speed up charging times for large batteries,
to have the greatest impact on storage.
• Deployment is a major barrier.
Implementation of technology in
renewables is hindered by deployment,
which faces its own distinct challenge.
However, 71 per cent of respondents
agreed there had been an increase in the
scale of deployment of renewable energy
sources.
• Standardisation as a much-needed
development for the low carbon sector.
Industry experts agree that regional and
global consensus on regulations could
speed up deployment and further reduce
costs.
“We are very encouraged by the
findings, which highlight not only a
growing optimism across the industry
but a vigorous and intelligent debate
about the pathways to decarbonisation,”
says Alasdair Buchanan, Energy Director
of Lloyd’s Register, a leading provider of
integrity, compliance and specialist risk
consulting services. “Clearly, there are
many uncertainties about exactly how the
industry will evolve, but what is inarguable
is that the conversation is no longer about
“should we?” but “how should we do it?””
Solar
According to the results of the technology
radar, solar cell advances are viewed as the
innovation most likely to be adopted in the
short term by the renewables sector, and
they are expected to have a major impact.
This chimes with current developments in
solar power generation, as research teams
around the world compete to improve
photovoltaic (PV) design.
A major area of focus for researchers at
the vanguard of solar cell development is
extending the durability of perovskites. A
compound of these new solar cells can be
painted or sprayed on to surfaces, and is
thinner and cheaper to manufacture than
silicon crystals (which are widely used
Above: Technology and software wil have a big impact on renewables competiveness
in the PV cells currently on the market).
Meanwhile, a different technology, which
uses a photothermal process – which
enables not only light but also heat from
the sun to be captured and converted
into electricity – is also edging closer to
commercialisation.
MIT published a groundbreaking
study in 2016 proving that solar
thermophotovoltaics (STPVs) could beat
the traditional maximum efficiency of solar
cells (which is slightly over 30 per cent).
This makes it theoretically possible for a
given area of panels to supply twice as
much power as they do currently. Clea rly,
innovation will reshape how the market
thinks about the effectiveness of solar in
the years ahead.
Wind
Survey respondents also view advances
in wind turbine technology favourably.
However, despite respondents believing
that these developments will have a high
impact, they were less sure about how long
they will take to get to market, and how
likely they are to be adopted.
Many of the innovations currently being
developed are incremental improvements
on current technology – for example,
better ways to anchor large offshore
turbines, or larger turbines with more
generation capacity.
For Thomas Choisnet, Chief Technology
Officer at Ideol, innovation is unlikely to be
the cause of any radical change in the field
in the near future.
“With wind turbine innovations, I don’t
see many technologies in development
that would transform the way we connect
wind power and transform it into electricity
except turbine size increases,” he explains.
“It took turbine manufacturers a few
decades to reach the current level of
reliability and quality.”
Even though innovators in both offshore
and onshore wind have some common
development goals – lighter machines
and bigger rotors are priorities for both
– multiple factors such as ‘NIMBY’ (not in
my backyard) syndrome and a constraint
on available land use because of planning
laws separates the two sources.
Some developed countries, such as the
UK, have already witnessed a withdrawal
of government support for onshore wind,
forcing generators to either scrap their
projects or look for innovative financing
methods – such as co-financing with local
communities – to keep them afloat.
Daikin UK has officially opened a new office
in central London, offering customers
improved project and application support
within the buoyant Greater London market.
Based in Harp Lane and within walking
distance of London Bridge, Monument
and Tower Hill stations, the modern offices
feature an open ceiling showcasing the
latest in Daikin VRV technology.
As part of a wider move to create a
strong collaborative environment, share
project experience and provide clients
with a superior level of customer service,
the Daikin UK sales team has restructured
its sales teams, bringing together its
contractor sales, specification, applied
systems, application and quotation teams
under a single Area Sales Manager in each
region.
Simon Chapman, Area Sales Manager
for Central London at Daikin UK said, “I
am delighted to be managing the new
Central London sales region. This new
development highlights our continued
commitment to invest in both our
customers and staff within the UK.
“We encourage all of our customers and
clients to meet with us in our new offices,
and to think of our facilities as their own
facilities, which they are welcome to use for
meetings and client briefings.”
Solar record
During the May Bank holiday 75GW was
generated by solar, supplying nearly 25 per
cent of the UK’s total demand. This is the
first time that solar has generated more
than nuclear, second only to gas.
STA CEO Paul Barwell said: “Currently,
12.1GW of solar has been installed
throughout the UK from Scotland to
Cornwall, enough to power 3.8 million
homes. This is a colossal achievement
in just 5 years, and sends a very positive
message to the UK that solar has a strong
place in the decarbonisation of the UK
energy sector.”
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