The Key to Connecting to a Renewable Energy Source

Date: 28/10/24

As we reported back in May 2023, one of the biggest issues with making UK power supplies carbon zero, is getting them connected to the grid in the first place. Back then, the queue for grid connections was unsustainable, and it has only grown since.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) estimates that the queue to connect new renewable energy sources is growing by around 20GW per month, and it is expected to reach over 800GW by the end of this year.

Renewable energy sources are desperately needed

This comes at the same time as a new United Nations Emissions Gap report that predicts that the climate could warm by as much as 3.1°C by the end of the century. This is more than double the target of 1.5°C set out in the Paris Agreement.

The new report says that ‘a failure to increase ambition…(with low carbon plans)…and start delivering immediately would put the world on course for a temperature increase of 2.6-3.1°C over the course of this century. This would bring debilitating impacts to people, planet and economies.’ 

This report has been released ahead of the crucial COP29 climate conference, which will be held in Azerbaijan in November.

What is the Government’s answer?

The previous government changed the ‘first come, first served’ approach to one of ‘first ready, first served’. This was an attempt to purge the queue of our projects with very little hope of success. The current government is going a step further, with a new ‘first ready, first needed, first served’ plan.

The idea is to allow the projects that are most needed to de-carbonise the UK electricity grid by 2030 to jump the queue. However, while this may seem logical to the outside observer, it will feel massively unfair to those projects that are displaced in the queue, and leave the government open to extensive and expensive legal action.

The NESO claims that the new plan will halve the connection queue, but analysts at Savills are not so sure, concluding their assessment by saying ‘whether this will actually happen remains to be seen’.

Make your own connection

With Think Hire, your company can connect to renewable energy sources without any of these delays, thanks to our industry leading innovations, such as the Solartainer Versatile. Instead of waiting for a grid connection, you can connect your electric vehicles and plant, power tools, site lighting and more, directly to a renewable energy source right there on your own site.

Better still, solar energy doesn’t even need the sun to shine. It can provide a free, dependable, renewable energy source all year round, whatever the weather. Think Hire Eco Solar Tower Lights provide lighting for eight hours a day, seven days a week in spring, summer and autumn, and five days a week in winter.

All eyes on Azerbaijan

The UN estimates that even if countries keep all their current promises, temperatures may still rise by 2.6 to 2.8°C. That means that there will be significant pressure on countries at the COP29 conference to extend their plans and pledges to use renewable energy sources. We will be watching the event closely and will report back as soon as we can to let you know what changes, if any, this pressure has brought.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to extend your plans to use renewable energy sources right now – without waiting for long, drawn out national grid connections or ambitious, long-term promises from the COP meeting, simply get in touch with Think Hire today. We can get you connected to a renewable energy source fast to start cutting your carbon emissions, and cutting your operating costs, straight away.

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