Micro-generation: a disruptive innovation for the UK energy system?

The connection of large numbers of distributed generators to the electricity system is essential to meet the UK government’s targets for renewable energy (10 per cent of electricity supplied by 2010) and combined heat and power (10GW of CHP installed by 2010). In its recent micro-generation consultation (Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), 2005) the UK government confirmed the Energy White Paper’s (DTI, 2003) aspiration for larger contributions from renewable energy sources beyond 2010 in response to climate change and energy security concerns. In many other countries too, there is a trend towards smaller scale sources of generation (e.g. International Energy Agency (IEA), 2002; Pehnt et al, 2006). A variety of drivers has been identified for the expected growth in micro-generation technologies, including environmental concerns (particularly the need to reduce carbon emissions), worries about the insecurity of energy supplies, the development of new energy service companies and programmes to tackle fuel poverty.