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Half of Scotland's Energy Consumption Came From Renewables Last Year (heraldscotland.com)

Posted by msmash on from the paving-way-for-a-brighter-future dept.

An anonymous reader quotes an article on Herald Scotland: Scotland has met a key target for renewable energy consumption, according to official figures. Statistics published by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change show 57.7% of Scottish electricity consumption came from renewables in 2015 -- 7.7% ahead of the 50% target. The SNP welcomed the figures and pledged to bring forward plans to go further if re-elected in May. Deputy First Minister and SNP campaign director John Swinney said: "The SNP have long championed green energy and these new figures show the huge progress we have made - but we are determined to go even further.

12 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong title by MarcDuflot · · Score: 5, Informative

    Half of Scotland's ELECTRICITY Consumption Came From Renewables Last Year

    1. Re:Wrong title by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And most of those renewables is hydro....

      Which doesn't count because...?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Wrong title by beelsebob · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not true - hydro is only really used as giant batteries for sudden ramp up and ramp down of electricity demand. Most of it is wind. Wave and tidal power play a fair role too though.

    3. Re:Wrong title by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      1. It's old-ass technology

      And fossil fuels aren't "old-ass technology"?

      2. It's environmentally destructive, so way to go you just flooded one environment and destroyed a river system.

      Not nearly as environmentally destructive as fossil fuels. Have you have been to coal country? Have you seen what coal mines do to the land?

      3. It isn't available everywhere, so good for you but it does us no good.

      That's really a stretch. Some places have sunshine. Some have geothermal. Some have wind. Nobody is saying everywhere has to have hydro power, but if you have it, yes, it's a renewable resource and yes, it limits the amount of fossil fuels you have to dig up and burn.

      So there's absolutely no reason that hydro energy shouldn't be considered an important part of the basket of renewables.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re: Wrong title by Namarrgon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not to mention, 4) pumped hydro storage is the perfect complement for all that excess wind power they've got so much of - and they're increasingly taking advantage of that fortuitous combination.

      --
      Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  2. Summary Longer than Article by number17 · · Score: 3

    The summary has more words than the article. I had to check because I wasn't sure if renewables consumed or generated half of Scotland's Energy.

  3. Another link by tomhath · · Score: 3, Informative

    As already pointed out, the 57% number is electricity, not energy. I suspect they burn a lot of natural gas for heat since they have the North Sea fields. Graphs here indicate that about 3/4 comes from wind, about 1/4 from hydro. Other sources are negligible (obviously Scotland is too far north and too cloudy for PV).

  4. Re:All Energy Is Renewable by Vihai · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, thermodynamics tells that ALL the energy is not renewable... entropy and stuff...

  5. Re:Story is lacking in any real details by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How is nuclear a renewable? You still needed fissile materials, and those are pulled out of the ground just like fossil fuels.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  6. Mostly wind by XXongo · · Score: 4, Informative

    And most of those renewables is hydro....

    No, as it turns out, most of those renewables are wind.

    Here are some earlier articles that give a bit more information:
    http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/wind-power-providing-almost-half-of-scotland-s-energy-supply-1-4023886
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-35160271
    http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c4ef7ed8-a8c8-11e5-843e-626928909745.html

  7. All Energy Is Conserved by XXongo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, thermodynamics tells that ALL the energy is not renewable... entropy and stuff...

    To the contrary. The first law of thermodynamics tells us that all energy is conserved. You don't have to ever worry about energy conservation: the laws of physics guarantee it will happen.

    Usable energy... now, that's a different case.

  8. Re:Need to get to 100% Quick... by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There is a peak for every non renewable resource at a certain cost.

    Once alternatives are found for that non-renewable resource then demand for it at the higher prices will collapse.

    There is plenty of gold available at $10,000 per oz. But we'll probably never mine it.

    Alternative energy and electric cars are collapsing the maximum price of oil. There may be lots of oil available at $200 a barrel-- but we may never collect it.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.