Griff Thomas from GTEC looks at some of the new technologies that optimise solar power generation, making it more valuable for businesses, reducing carbon footprints and helping to balance the grid as demand grows.
To meet the momentous challenge of net zero, we need creative thinking and innovative engineering surrounding renewable energy generation and usage.
Solar energy is one of the most powerful resources we have as we head towards net zero 2050. The related technology is well-established, producing clean electricity that is critical for decarbonising key sectors, including transport and heating. To remain on track to deliver net zero by 2050, some experts think the UK will need to triple the amount of electricity produced by solar during the 2020s.
To this end, scientists, manufacturers and researchers have been taking huge steps forward to expand solar capacity and power the future. New approaches include floating solar panels, or ‘floatovoltaics’, which have been shown to be 11% more efficient than land panels due to the cooling properties of the water, and improvements to the panels themselves.
Meanwhile, Oxford University spin-off Oxford PV has developed a perovskite-on-silicon cell that set a new world record in 2020 at 29.52% efficiency.
But generating more solar energy is just one side of the coin, we also need to use this renewable energy more efficiently to optimise production and ensure the grid can balance supply and demand – a complex process – made more challenging by the use of energy sources that are highly influenced by the weather and seasons, which can essentially drop-off at a moment’s notice.
Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021
The electrification of the transport sector brings both challenges and opportunities for innovation surrounding solar energy usage. We must be clever about how we use energy generated from renewable sources because increasing demand for EV charging could cause a surge on the grid if it is not properly managed.
This year, the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 were introduced to ensure that EV charge points sold for domestic or workplace use have smart functionality. These regulations were designed to help even out spikes in demand, while enabling renewable energy to be allocated in a controlled way to keep carbon emissions to a minimum and prevent power outages.
Reducing reliance on the grid
Ideally, in this new electric landscape, commercial and domestic buildings would combine rooftop solar with battery storage and an electric vehicle. Using generated electricity is always the most cost-effective option, as export rates under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) are far lower than what it costs to buy.
If consumers and businesses can make use of time-of-use tariffs, there are further savings to be made. These new models allow energy providers to better balance supply and demand and prevent surges. End-users can benefit from cheap energy, as low as 7.5p/kWh at the time of writing, if they charge their EV during certain hours of the night, utilising smart technology to help them optimise the process.
The ability to create and store electricity, independent of the grid, is an appealing prospect in the face of rising energy costs and concern about security of supply. However, add in the option to sell cheap energy back to the grid at peak time from an EV battery and it gets really interesting.
Vehicle to Grid (V2G) and Vehicle to Home (V2H) charging
Electric vehicles have large batteries which can be up to 10 times more powerful than a standard home battery. As the number of EVs on UK roads continues to rise, our capacity to store surplus and off-peak renewable energy increases. This has led to research into how EVs could be used to store excess power, feed energy back into the grid and even power people’s homes.
Going one step further, bi-directional vehicle chargers are an emerging technology that allows surplus energy to power homes and buildings, known as V2H. Initial trials by British smart energy technology company, Indra, indicate that V2H technology can generate significant savings of up to £200 per month on an average household energy bill.
Indra is running a larger trial this year with 500 participants over a 12-month period to further develop the technology, which holds real promise for consumers looking to play a role in a sustainable future and make a savvy investment.
Driving a skills revolution
The important ingredient in making solar, or any renewable technology, work is skilled installers. We need a qualified workforce to help roll out these technologies and educate consumers about the benefits of going green. As an electrician, this presents exciting business opportunities and cements your chosen career as a future-proof one.
Solar PV installation, battery storage and EV charging point installation courses are all designed for existing electrical installers, providing an ideal ‘next-step’ for anyone with an eye to expanding markets.
A different path to power
Change is happening, and, in the not too distant future, our reliance on fossil fuels will come to an end. We need a new approach to the way we power our buildings, for the environment and also the pockets of end-users, who are increasingly hammered by rising fuel bills. The current situation is just not viable.
Electricians have an important part to play in helping consumers find a different path to power, one which offers more security while making an important contribution to reducing the UK’s carbon footprint.
