The latest surge in the price of oil and gas has sparked consumer interest in domestic solar battery systems, heat pumps and EVs. The FT’s Leyla Boulton explores how governments and banks could help e
Can we finally accept that we have the technology to collect, store and distribute sufficient of the clean, free solar radiation falling on Earth everyday to meet all of our electrical power needs, and stop worrying about the straits of Hormuz and global warming.
Renewables are worth pursuing but over the last 100 + years the UK has been built for burning fossil fuels. Our old homes would struggle to adapt and our electricity infrastructure just couldn't cope with the new demands , even with massive investment . The energy security / eventual cost saving argument is sound but the global environmental one isn't though - much of the world will always burn coal
Cheaper cost for the consumer isn't going to lower overall consumption of oil and coal. 23 countries are going to lose 50% of their populations the next 70 years, there is a good argument to not increase new oil demand for goods and services is to not buy new products.
Any saving of money is the efficiency, it it is spent and not saved forever then the efficiency is lost, for 99% of people it will be spent and that is oil based consumption and coal, if someone buys a new synthetic piece of clothing then petrol and diesel is created at the same time.
New money in the system is new tickets to energy and of course the govt can afford it, they print money these days in the debt based system.
It add's to consumption and have been part of zero transition because all energy has been an add-on and people consume to their maximum.
Renewables spending is 10% of new GDP globally, war is 5% for some, the govts are doing as much as they can to enter new debt..
The issue I have around renewables is electricity is 22% of total energy and these discussions don't account for the consumption emissions of the new money being created and they have multiples as they pass around the economy as spending
Don't worry! BYD promise that they have stationary batteries in the pipeline, months. It is Sodium Ion batteries with a life span of 33 years, and they are cheaper than Lithium. In fact, they are cheaper than anything you can burn. It will make nuclear power even more expensive and fossil fuel gone, as soon as batteries are set up.
Problem is not finance in the west. We have money. Government blocks people from solar by policy blockade. They don't want to hurt their oil billionaire mates. In UK you need £750 MCs certificate for export taariff. I can get £5k credit card 2 year interest free. Buy solar and export excess energy, solar probably pay off £4k in 2 years but MCs certificate is the barrier.
With the exception of hydrogen and HVO, energy is now generally affordable on the wholesale market. Propane in North West Europe , for example, trades at around €40 per MWh (June 29th 2026)
What makes energy less affordable is duties and taxes, on top of which comes VAT. Trust governments to find a way to tax the power produced on your own property.
Thankfully Canadians are justing getting the first tranche of Chinese EV's at this time, so Americans can cross the border and have a look at what the next generation of vehicles will look like. With any luck they'll be "vehicle to grid" ready so there will be no benefit to spending extra on a home battery.
You can only be if you get mcs certificate. Only 1 company in UK provides that. It's so expensive it is equal to 5kw of solar panels. That's government created monopoly. Why can't there be 10 companies providing MCs certificate so they can compete and it will be a healthy industry too. Corruption is so normal in UK, we consider it normal everyday life.
If loan repayments on finance of renewables is lower than the savings made on fuel costs then it is a no brainer.
This is the idea behind the UK Warm Homes Plan. Provide low interest loans on energy saving technology which of course will be fully owned after 6-10 years and provide another 15-20 years of very low cost energy. Of course the policy needs to be carried out well and free from the cowboy companies which tend to emerge with the smell of free money, which, as with many government schemes may be the sticking point.
It should be said that this is already happening in the commercial sector. Finance of solar,. batteries and other technology paid for almost entirely from the savings made with no up front costs to the customer at all. Many good renewable installation companies will now provide financial projections based on usage and payback period meaning no or very little capital costs need be made. The equipment is then fully owned after a few years. Most systems will continue to operate for decades.
Let's all plant front yard vegetables gardens, install super high insulation, install solar PV panels, buy a bicycle and then an electric vehicle and more solar PV panels and more on-site potatoes.
Iran Conflict is a wake up call - we don't need a revolution - just a reality check would be enough.
We use cookies, device fingerprinting and cross-device tracking to personalise content, serve targeted advertising, and analyse how you use our site across your devices. By clicking Accept all you consent to the use of these tracking technologies. Your data may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you personalised ads on other sites.
Privacy policy
Comments (17)
Daily Junction discussion mixed with clearly attributed comments from the original video provider.
Join in — free. Comments on Daily Junction are for members, so real names stay rare and bots stay out.
One field. We email you a 6-digit code — no password needed. Your comment is kept while you do it.
Under 13? You’ll need a parent’s OK first — it takes them one click.
Any saving of money is the efficiency, it it is spent and not saved forever then the efficiency is lost, for 99% of people it will be spent and that is oil based consumption and coal, if someone buys a new synthetic piece of clothing then petrol and diesel is created at the same time.
New money in the system is new tickets to energy and of course the govt can afford it, they print money these days in the debt based system.
It add's to consumption and have been part of zero transition because all energy has been an add-on and people consume to their maximum.
Renewables spending is 10% of new GDP globally, war is 5% for some, the govts are doing as much as they can to enter new debt..
The issue I have around renewables is electricity is 22% of total energy and these discussions don't account for the consumption emissions of the new money being created and they have multiples as they pass around the economy as spending
What makes energy less affordable is duties and taxes, on top of which comes VAT. Trust governments to find a way to tax the power produced on your own property.
This is the idea behind the UK Warm Homes Plan. Provide low interest loans on energy saving technology which of course will be fully owned after 6-10 years and provide another 15-20 years of very low cost energy. Of course the policy needs to be carried out well and free from the cowboy companies which tend to emerge with the smell of free money, which, as with many government schemes may be the sticking point.
It should be said that this is already happening in the commercial sector. Finance of solar,. batteries and other technology paid for almost entirely from the savings made with no up front costs to the customer at all. Many good renewable installation companies will now provide financial projections based on usage and payback period meaning no or very little capital costs need be made. The equipment is then fully owned after a few years. Most systems will continue to operate for decades.