Change is required at every stage in the energy process, from windy hill top to a finger on a light switch.

From energy that’s brown, to energy that’s green; from generation confined to just a few remote corporations to a decentralised local network where it's in the hands of many; and from a society that takes its energy for granted to one that values it more and uses it less, achieving a renewable energy future for the country will require transformation at every stage of the process.

It’s going to be quite a journey. But we understand what needs to be done. And we know how to do it. Take a closer look at the sections below to find out the key areas we are focusing on.

Resources and technology
The UK has some of the best tidal, wind and wave resources on earth. Lack of investment and connection issues have resulted in exciting emerging technologies becoming stunted ones. Fixing this is either a matter of underwriting Research & Development risks, or making the incentives appropriately sized and easily accessible to the private sector. Wind, wave and tidal generation are essential to meeting our binding emission-reduction targets and achieving a secure domestic energy supply.

Investment
Emerging technologies need access to low cost capital, or they will require significantly higher subsidies to come to market. And the level of investment needs to be high in order to commercialise such technologies. A green bank is required to underwrite the risks of investment with robust fixed support mechanisms for renewable generation.

Generation
We need to see a growth in the use of renewable transport fuels and expand the penetration renewable heating technologies, such as geothermal, biogas injection and heat pumps. However, where these options are simply not feasible, we will need to increasingly electrify our industries and power them from renewable electricity. Good Energy estimates that, by 2050, our electricity demand will have doubled from its present level. For a zero carbon grid to be achieved, renewable electricity must carry the bulk of this burden – through heating solutions and vehicles powered by renewable electricity – and we must improve our energy efficiency and cut our consumption.

Trading
Our current regulatory environment favours large, predictable generation such as coal, gas or nuclear. Renewables, due to their intermittency, are typically punished. A stable regulatory market place needs to encourage investment into the UK generation. To achieve a renewable future, we need a system that can manage high levels of volatility by using capacitors – electrical storage and control and interconnectability with a European solar and wind grid. Decentralised generation can only balance where demand and supply are not viewed as individual beasts, but as coexisting entities.

Transmission and distribution
To encourage investment into new UK generation, a stable, consistent, regulatory marketplace is a necessity. Our planning system and the way that generators connect to the grid is failing; we need one that is fit for purpose and has the capacity to process, analyse and deliver on a significant increase in decentralised generation. This is something our current regulatory arrangements cannot achieve without significant support and input. We also require a system that can manage high levels of volatility as we shift away from conventional base load generation. We need one that does not penalise generation with a variable output, but one where variable output is utilised more effectively.

A reform of current market conditions needs to incorporate localised capacitors; electrical storage; control and interconnectability with a European grid. Our networks are currently arranged to be a one-way transaction – energy being distributed from large generators to end-users. A future grid will require electricity that can be distributed from a network of smaller-scale renewable generators and can be traded, not only at a regional-level, but internationally, too. Such systems already exist, but we need to see them rolled out nationally rather than just for Research & Development purposes.

Supply and consumption
Our energy use has to become more intelligent. The introduction of control units in our appliances – from fridges to industrial machinery – must allow for automatic adjustment of consumption to work in cooperation with an increasingly intermittent grid. This dynamic demand provides a balancing network for the grid – allowing the variable loads of a renewable grid to be managed more effectively. Things such as electric vehicles will also help, acting as capacitors – charging when it’s windy and discharging into the local network when it’s still. These approaches will require greater participation and investment into new technology, but will reduce emissions and cut costs for the consumer.

We need to match our demand with an intermittent source of generation – making the most of our naturally available resources – not increasing how much we generate to match our growing demand.