Guest Post: Gatecrashing the Energy Sector

Calling all green govvies! Forum for the Future needs you to join them in ‘Gatecrashing the Energy Sector’. Here Katee Hui tells us what it’s all about and a couple of upcoming events you should get involved in. You can sign up to their launch events on 8th Sept and 15th Sept now!

Image: Zetson

If we are going to create a sustainable energy system to help prevent the worst impacts of climate change, we urgently need to develop radically different ways of generating, distributing, storing and using energy.

History shows us that real disruption rarely comes from within a system and it seems unlikely that the powerful incumbents that currently dominate the energy sector will prove an exception. So, we are embarking on an exciting new project to invite people to ‘gatecrash’ and disrupt the energy sector by bringing expertise and ideas from outside.

Over the next 5 months we will be bringing together people from a range of disciplines and organisations to generate new ideas and prototype alternatives to current systems. We are reaching out to anyone with an interest in creating disruption in the energy sector; from multinational ICT companies and home tinkerers to social entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to local authorities and other government officials.

This event may be of particular interest to government for a few reasons – not least the overturn of the ban on local authorities selling renewables, and the feed-in tariff legislation. The feed-in tariff rewards consumers a premium rate for any electricty fed into the national grid. The feed-in tariff means local authorities can sell renewables to generate income, as of August 18, 2010. DECC estimates that local authorities across England and Wales could boost their incomes by up to £100 million a year through the scheme. The legislative changes will promote interest in small-scale energy generation that could lead to major disruptions of the sector.

This is a major opportunity for the UK to tackle the underdeveloped nature of its alternative energy sector. The UK still only gets 1.8% of its energy from renewable sources, whereas in Sweden, the renewable share is upwards of 40%. Finland’s renewable energy generation is around 30% and Denmark is at the 20% mark. EU emissions targets will also put pressure on industry and government to invest in renewables, so early support for innovative newcomers to the sector could mean major savings down the line.

Some local authorities have already embraced the potential for delivering different schemes and incentives around energy consumption. Innovative schemes such as The Pay as You Save trial scheme, operated by DIY chain B&Q and the London Borough of Sutton is one example of a way in which government can engage with energy consumption and saving, while also exploring potential for new energy sources. Under the scheme, each qualifying household is eligible to receive a maximum of £10,000 to be spent on approved improvements, such as micro energy generation through solar panels.

If you would like to be part of Forum for the Future’s game-changing initiative to gatecrash the energy sector, please contact Gemma Adams g [dot] adams (AT) forumforthefuture [dot] org or Hugh Knowles h [dot] knowles (AT) forumforthefuture [dot] org. More information can be found on Forum’s website or by following @lightbulbmoment on Twitter.