Solar energy for British homes?

BBC Breakfast: News and debate on a new government initiative around solar energy for British homes. James debates this topic with Stephan Hale, Director of the Green Alliance. During this interview, the presenters of BBC Breakfast put a few pointed questions to James and David: Is there any justification in the government issuing grants of £3,000 for the domestic installation of solar energy panels? Does use of solar energy panels have any impact on global warming? How much responsibility lies with individuals compared to that of Government and the big power generating companies? Should we not be asking what consumers need to stop doing, what aspects of domestic living use too much energy and should be taken away?

James provides a clear response. He believes it is the Government, rather than consumers, who have a case to answer. He goes on to say that the national grid is the source of the majority of our current energy supply and is likely to remain so for some time to come and that Carbon emissions need to be tackled at the source of energy production.

This means that new forms of energy, such as nuclear or large scale renewables, are required or that carbon-capture for coal fired power stations must be adopted on site. He argues that all the conservation activity being advocated for the domestic household will not deliver the level of energy supply we need or come close to addressing the problem of emissions. In the absence of Government providing sufficient focus on our national energy needs, James feels that he can only interpret the current solar energy initiative as a political campaign that targets consumer behaviour and affords the Government the opportunity to preach social responsibility, while abdicating their own.