Avoiding a generation gap

Electricity supply could descend into chaos in 30 years’ time as vast numbers of small wind generators and solar cells come on to the grid.

In response, a £2.5m research consortium, including Rolls-Royce and Scottish Power, has announced a project to tackle the challenges of co-ordinating such a complex distributed energy supply.

Prof David Infield, leading the consortium at Loughborough University, said small renewable energy sources and generators will become increasingly inexpensive and commonplace so there is an imperative to make effective use of their output.

‘We plan to look at the challenges of having many small generators in people’s homes and workplaces, prompted by the expectation that there will be a growth of solarvoltaics, microgenerators and small wind turbines,’ he said. ‘The electricity companies are a little apprehensive about how this new generation of supply will operate.’

The key question is whether a mix of distributed generators can supply energy for a community reliably or whether other power sources providing significant amounts from elsewhere are needed, said Infield.