The future is electric
22/05/09 08:55 Filed in: Blog
The future is electric. That’s the
message I got from speaking to industry experts at the
All Energy
exhibition in Aberdeen this
week. Exhibitors and visitors from around the world were showcasing
their renewable energy technologies.
At least in the immediate term the opinion of those I spoke to was that hydrogen and fuel cell technology has important applications, but that for our cars electricity is not only simpler but rapidly reaching practical levels of performance and range.
The Tesla has well and truly scotched the myth that electric cars will have all the performance of a Co-op milk float. Cars like the Ev’ie – based on the Citroen C1 – have shown that electric cars can also be safe, practical and relatively affordable (the prices are bound to drop as volumes increase). Autocar even said it was fun to drive.
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Onshore wind is the mature renewable technology that fills the gap before the real stuff comes on stream.
So, with performance and enhanced range in the pipeline, the electric car could satisfy our need for personal transport. But, are they really green?
The criticism has always been that they simply move emissions from the tailpipe to the power stations, the majority of which are still powered by “dirty” fossil fuel.
But, that will change, given the pace of green energy technology was nowhere better demonstrated than at All Energy. With impeccable timing, Europe’s largest wind farm was extended just as the exhibition opened. With the extension, the Eaglesham Moor wind farm, near Glasgow, has a nominal capacity of 450MW.
The message from the blue-sky thinkers at All Energy is that onshore wind is the mature technology that can give us an immediate boost to our generation capacity – albeit that it only replaces fossil fuel generation when there is a wind.
The buzz at the show surrounded the offshore generations potential, with many eyes on the huge generation potential of the Pentland Firth between Caithness and the Orkney Isles. In theory, it is said, this strip of sea could produce all the energy requirement of the entire United Kingdom, once the technology is mature.
Engineering feats of this scale have been achieved in this part of the country. The North Sea oil and gas industry, is and still remains, a testament to the enterprise, determination and engineering capability centred on Aberdeen, which is now a world centre second only to Houston in Texas.
All Energy was an indication of the determination of the industry to solve the renewable energy issues. Also the determination of Aberdeen City and Shire to follow its domination of the oil and gas industry and ride the renewable wave.
At least in the immediate term the opinion of those I spoke to was that hydrogen and fuel cell technology has important applications, but that for our cars electricity is not only simpler but rapidly reaching practical levels of performance and range.
The Tesla has well and truly scotched the myth that electric cars will have all the performance of a Co-op milk float. Cars like the Ev’ie – based on the Citroen C1 – have shown that electric cars can also be safe, practical and relatively affordable (the prices are bound to drop as volumes increase). Autocar even said it was fun to drive.
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Onshore wind is the mature renewable technology that fills the gap before the real stuff comes on stream.
So, with performance and enhanced range in the pipeline, the electric car could satisfy our need for personal transport. But, are they really green?
The criticism has always been that they simply move emissions from the tailpipe to the power stations, the majority of which are still powered by “dirty” fossil fuel.
But, that will change, given the pace of green energy technology was nowhere better demonstrated than at All Energy. With impeccable timing, Europe’s largest wind farm was extended just as the exhibition opened. With the extension, the Eaglesham Moor wind farm, near Glasgow, has a nominal capacity of 450MW.
The message from the blue-sky thinkers at All Energy is that onshore wind is the mature technology that can give us an immediate boost to our generation capacity – albeit that it only replaces fossil fuel generation when there is a wind.
The buzz at the show surrounded the offshore generations potential, with many eyes on the huge generation potential of the Pentland Firth between Caithness and the Orkney Isles. In theory, it is said, this strip of sea could produce all the energy requirement of the entire United Kingdom, once the technology is mature.
Engineering feats of this scale have been achieved in this part of the country. The North Sea oil and gas industry, is and still remains, a testament to the enterprise, determination and engineering capability centred on Aberdeen, which is now a world centre second only to Houston in Texas.
All Energy was an indication of the determination of the industry to solve the renewable energy issues. Also the determination of Aberdeen City and Shire to follow its domination of the oil and gas industry and ride the renewable wave.