REF Believes Renewables Advisory Board Report Doesn't Add Up

The Renewables Advisory Board has today issued a short study concluding that the UK could achieve the 2020 EU renewable energy target of 15% of Final Energy Consumption.

REF notes that the grounding assumptions of the study are extremely optimistic.
In particular RAB estimates that UK Final Energy Consumption in 2020 will be 150 mtoe, or 15% less than it is at present (172 mtoe, according to EU figures).

The EU baseline studies which underly the 2020 target directive actually assume that it will be 7% higher (185 mtoe).

Thus RAB underestimates the size of the 2020 target by a margin as large as 23%.

Dr John Constable, Director of Policy and Research for REF said: “Assuming that energy efficiency measures can deliver a 15% reduction in Final Energy Consumption by 2020 seems unhelpfully optimistic, not least because the UK population is predicted to rise by 2.7 million in the same period. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that with the best of intentions the RAB is trying to make the EU’s wildly ambitious targets look reasonable and attainable, when in fact they are neither.”

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For further information please contact REF on 020 7930 3636 or visit our website www.ref.org.uk
Notes for Editors

1. The Board is chaired by the Secretary of State, BERR. The Board is composed of 12 ex officio members, drawn from Government, the Trade Unions, academics and the renewables industry. http://www.renewables-advisory-board.org.uk

2.Mtoe – million tonnes of oil equivalent, a standard general unit of energy. One tonne of oil equivalent is equivalent to 11,630 kWhs.

3. Renewable Energy Foundation is a UK registered charity supporting research into renewable and alternative energy. The Foundation is supported by private donation, and has no corporate membership or political affiliation. It publishes monthly performance data for all 900 renewable generators under the RO subsidy system.