The Rise of Renewable Energy in the UK

When people ask why is it such a great time for A&D Recruitment to be involved in the UK renewable energy sector, nowadays I can simply point to the statistics! But this is genuinely true because each passing year sets new records for Britain’s renewable energy drive. So I thought it might be interesting to discuss with you a few of the different aspects of why exactly green energy in the UK is as exciting a market as it is.

Why the increase? A bit of history

One of the reasons the UK has seen such a drastic increase in interest in renewable energy in recent years is because of the EU and UK targets for reductions in carbon emissions. In addition, there are commercial incentives, including the Feed in tariffs (FITs) and the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme (ROCs) that make it financially interesting for people to switch to renewable electricity. Considering the UK has large potential resources for wind power schemes, it should come as no surprise that this has become the largest source of renewable energy.

Record levels of green energy

According to the statistics, there were record levels of green energy used in 2014 across Britain. On both land and sea, there were more than 900 new wind turbines, while there was £3billion paid in subsidies. According to recent Government statistics, almost 15 per cent of all power came from renewable sources in 2013. When compared to 2012 (11.3) this is an increase of almost one third.

The rise of renewable energy construction contracts

Another aspect that definitely warrants another look is the amount of renewable energy projects awarded throughout the UK in 2014 alone. There were 1,095 renewable energy projects, which totalled more than £5.2 billion worth of construction contracts.

Moving towards the future

Considering that costs for renewable energy are coming down and technologies are developing fast, we have to acknowledge that renewable energy is not just an ecological option anymore – it is a truly commercial option. As the industry continues to grow, the UK will be pushing towards having 30 per cent of all its energy coming from renewable energy by 2020.

Even though this is an attainable goal, it does mean that further investments (from both Government and commercial sources) are necessary. This is going to lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in the field, as well as offering long-term domestic energy security, reducing the risks associated with climate change and ultimately making the UK an example for the rest of the world.

Renewable energy will only keep growing

With all the promising numbers and government green energy targets, A&D strongly believes that the UK market is far from reaching a plateau. We are seeing more homes and businesses invest in green energy – particularly solar, ground and air source, and biomass – which is good news for our clients of course. They then need to expand and recruit and we are able to offer strong candidates… some of whom have only worked in sustainable energy, which makes us feel old! It all makes for a very exciting industry to be involved in.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us on 01743 247774.

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