Half of UK homes to become ‘mini power stations’ to achieve climate targets

Published: 23 June 2021

New report outlines the revolutionary changes to the way Britons live as we transition to clean energy.
13.5 million households expected to have solar panels by 2050, most heating will be electrified and 90% of transport will need to be electric.
10 million homes will have battery storage – using, storing, and sharing clean power with neighbours.

The British public will live very differently by 2050, in homes featuring autonomous electric cars, solar panels and battery walls, in order to meet the UK’s climate targets.

That’s according to Renewable Nation: Pathways to a Zero Carbon Britain, a new report which explains the need for homes to become ‘mini power stations’ to create a clean energy revolution by 2050 and deliver the necessary changes to home energy.

Up to now, the UK has been able to make steady progress in cutting carbon emissions without the need for widespread changes to our homes. The new report finds that people and households will have a major role to play in the next stages of decarbonisation, shifting to an exciting, new and different way of life.  

Renewable Nation, produced by Good Energy and the Energy Systems Catapult, brings the house of the future to life, and finds that significant and urgent investment is needed to mobilise essential ‘people power’ and turn British homes into small power stations. 

According to the report – the most up-to-date study to be carried out on the UK’s energy sector – the house of the future will have: 

  • Roof-top solar Panels: to convert sunlight into renewable electricity. 
  • Battery walls: To allow residents to use renewable energy at a time which suits them best. 
  • Autonomous electric cars: The public will adopt self-driving electric vehicles powered by clean energy.
  • Vehicle-to-Grid technology: To ensure excess clean power can be saved from cars to the national grid.  
  • Autonomous electric cars: Instead of being powered by petrol or diesel, British people will adopt self-driving electric vehicles powered by clean energy.
  • Home energy manager: Smart devices will help optimise energy consumption. 
  • Heat pumps: To absorb cold air and convert it into a renewable heat source. 

Good Energy: An artist impression of net zero home

RobertLlewellyn,Founder & Joint CEO of Fully Charged, said: “If I attended an energy industry conference in 1995, it would have been so dull I’d have tried to sneak out half way through. If I attend an energy industry conference now, it’s a hotbed of innovation, incredible new technology and a workforce that is fired up and engaged with the enormous challenges ahead. 

“Innovation, and more exciting and sophisticated technology, will arrive in our homes by 2050. We will see the end of filthy gas boilers and big, inefficient combustion engines polluting our driveways. The changes that will take place in the next 30 years are going to be extraordinary, this is definitely the next industrial revolution.”

Juliet Davenport OBE, Founder of Good Energy, said: “The journey to net zero has to be people powered. If we do it the right way, everyone stands to benefit through more control of their energy, better transport and cleaner air. Every second counts in the fight to protect our planet, so there is no time to waste to begin installing solar panels, battery walls and move to electric cars. 

“We know the necessary change needs investment, and this is where the Government must step in to help. The green revolution requires everyone to change their way of life, and our new report shows exactly what is needed now to achieve a net zero UK.”

Philip New, CEO of Energy Systems Catapult, said: “A people power revolution really can achieve the results we need in order to meet net zero by 2050. The report we have developed alongside Good Energy shows that by  adopting technologies such as battery walls, solar panel roofs and electric cars, British consumers can drive progress towards a clean energy revolution in the coming years.” 

By 2050, 13.5 billion homes (over 50% of homes) should have rooftop solar panels, over 80% of heating must be electrified and 90% of transport will need to be electric, with smart EV charging becoming essential for the operation of the grid. 

The report calls on government to incentivise the installation of residential solar panels, provide interest free financing for green home measures and bring forward the digitalisation of the energy sector to enable this transformation.

Crucially, the report calls for the creation of a net zero watchdog – an independent body with teeth – which can hold current and future governments to account, drive the UK towards a decarbonised energy system and tackle ‘greenwashing’ across all sectors.