Wind and solar could vastly exceed Britain’s energy needs, Oxford study finds

Britain’s energy needs could be met entirely by wind and solar, according to a policy brief published by Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

The research indicates that wind and solar power could generate up to 2,896 TWh per year in the UK, significantly exceeding the highest energy demand forecasts for 2050 (1,500 TWh/year) and nearly ten times the current electricity demand (299 TWh/year). These conservative estimates take into account concerns about land use and visibility of installations.

“This is a question of ambition rather than technical feasibility,” insists lead author Dr Brian O’Callaghan. “The UK is already lagging in the global green race. Instead of hitting reverse, we should be turbocharging on renewables with US-style incentives and gearing up our grid for the surge that is already underway.”

The study anticipates that offshore wind will produce the majority of the energy (73%), with onshore wind contributing 7% and utility-scale solar providing 19%. The remaining energy would come from rooftop solar. The authors acknowledge that significant grid upgrades and energy storage scaling will be necessary to handle this level of renewable energy, but they believe these challenges can be overcome with investment and policy support.

Utility-scale solar contributes around 19% (544 TWh/year), and the rest is made up by rooftop solar, covering 8% of GB’s roof area (25 TWh/year).

The authors note that the grid will need significant upgrades to handle this amount of renewable energy, including the scaling of energy storage. But, with an eye to quickly falling costs, they believe these challenges can be overcome with investment and policy support.