If you’ve been reading the press recently you may have seen some reports suggesting that – despite the opportunity for the country to be a leader in green initiatives – the current government is responsible for the ‘worst period for UK environmental policy in 30 years’.

In recent months there have been announcements including the scrapping of subsidies for onshore wind, no clear policy on energy efficiency policy for homes, and removing the incentive to own a low-emission car (soon the road tax for ‘dirty’ cars and low emissions cars will be £140 for both).

Government threatening future of renewable energy
It saddens me that, just two months after the election, the government is already threatening the development of renewable energy by lessening its green commitments and at the same time vocally supporting the UK’s gas and oil industries.

However, SunGift is working hard – alongside trade associations – to lobby the government (you too can help by writing to your local MP). We’re particularly promoting the benefits of solar, which benefits from a Feed-in Tariff that adds just 0.7% (£10) to an average annual UK energy bill.

I feel it’s especially important to look at the positives and show just how much more accessible solar has become in recent years. Five years ago the average household solar system cost around £20,000; now it’s around £6,000. This is largely thanks to the growth in installations and public acceptance.

Energy storage: making renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels
Perhaps even more encouraging though is the vast technological developments, particularly in energy storage. It is now almost as cheap to generate your own electricity using solar as it is to buy fossil fuels from an energy company, and with the latest developments in energy storage technologies it will soon be even more effective.

SunGift – leading the UK in energy storage expertise
This is therefore a tremendously exciting time for renewables, and SunGift has recently been chosen by one a global electronics leader to build a test lab for its four energy storage devices (more details in August’s newsletter). It has also just been confirmed that I will be sent a world-leading new energy storage device to test, analyse and review for our customers later this year. These are significant developments and it’s reassuring to know that world-leading manufacturers continue to trust us to test and launch their products into the UK market.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the way energy generation is heading – individuals and businesses generating their own electricity and storing it for use whenever they require it, rather than feeding it back to the grid. The Growatt SP2000 and Samsung SPP energy storage devices are already proving popular with SunGift customers and we hope to share some of their experiences using the technology with you over the coming months.

In the mean time, pressing the government to more actively support all forms of renewable energy is extremely importantly. I’ve already written to every South West MP pressing them for their support, and I would urge you to write to your local MP too.

Best wishes

Gabriel Wondrausch
Founder and Strategic Director