Defining a Vision for 2030
We cannot solve the climate and ecological crises simply by switching to renewable energy. Our natural resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. Although enough sunlight reaches the earth to provide 16,300 kW energy for every person in the world[1], and research has shown that current energy demands could be met using just 0.1% of total land surface, if we don’t address our growing demand for energy, the whole of the land mass of the Earth would need to be covered by solar panels to meet our needs in the future[2]. Equally, although the ‘fuel’ used by renewable technologies is limitless, the infrastructure needed to capture it is not. We must ‘power down’.
[1] There is No Planet B, Mike Berners Lee (2019) p66
[2] There is No Planet B, Mike Berners Lee (2019) p68
We cannot solve the climate and ecological crises simply by switching to renewable energy. Our natural resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. Although enough sunlight reaches the earth to provide 16,300 kW energy for every person in the world[1], and research has shown that current energy demands could be met using just 0.1% of total land surface, if we don’t address our growing demand for energy, the whole of the land mass of the Earth would need to be covered by solar panels to meet our needs in the future[2]. Equally, although the ‘fuel’ used by renewable technologies is limitless, the infrastructure needed to capture it is not. We must ‘power down’.
[1] There is No Planet B, Mike Berners Lee (2019) p66
[2] There is No Planet B, Mike Berners Lee (2019) p68
In 2030…
Everyone lives in a home that is dry and warm in winter and comfortable in summer. Following the success of the Smart Community Project’s Bridport affordable housing development, this new model for living was adopted as a template for many new housing developments across the county. Every new home in the county is now built to Passivhaus standards, and all existing properties have been retrofitted to a similar standard of insulation. Running costs have declined in line with improved standards and the costs of retrofitting were backed by a series of Government and Council led programmes that ensured everyone could afford the improvements required. There has been a concerted effort to move from gas to electricity as the principal energy source for residential and commercial properties and this has also provided opportunities for re-skilling the workforce and contributing to the ‘green’ economy.
Local community groups working with the two Councils have been instrumental in helping households understand and reduce their energy use by adopting low-carbon lifestyle choices. All households have integrated smart meter technology that enables appliances to be used when renewable energy generation is at its highest (and costs at their lowest), linked to local energy generation. Energy use and running costs have also fallen through employing smart technology, with home appliances running on timed systems, activated when excess energy is available from the grid and local energy systems. Groups in each workplace and neighbourhood consider on-going energy requirements and develop and share ideas to create bio-city opportunities in their areas; built on a model pioneered through the Dorset Green Living Project. Commercial and industrial premises have been built to similar standards since the mid- 2020’s and the fitters who were part of the mass retrofitting programme have now moved over to look at the remaining commercial premises across the county.
Everyone lives in a home that is dry and warm in winter and comfortable in summer. Following the success of the Smart Community Project’s Bridport affordable housing development, this new model for living was adopted as a template for many new housing developments across the county. Every new home in the county is now built to Passivhaus standards, and all existing properties have been retrofitted to a similar standard of insulation. Running costs have declined in line with improved standards and the costs of retrofitting were backed by a series of Government and Council led programmes that ensured everyone could afford the improvements required. There has been a concerted effort to move from gas to electricity as the principal energy source for residential and commercial properties and this has also provided opportunities for re-skilling the workforce and contributing to the ‘green’ economy.
Local community groups working with the two Councils have been instrumental in helping households understand and reduce their energy use by adopting low-carbon lifestyle choices. All households have integrated smart meter technology that enables appliances to be used when renewable energy generation is at its highest (and costs at their lowest), linked to local energy generation. Energy use and running costs have also fallen through employing smart technology, with home appliances running on timed systems, activated when excess energy is available from the grid and local energy systems. Groups in each workplace and neighbourhood consider on-going energy requirements and develop and share ideas to create bio-city opportunities in their areas; built on a model pioneered through the Dorset Green Living Project. Commercial and industrial premises have been built to similar standards since the mid- 2020’s and the fitters who were part of the mass retrofitting programme have now moved over to look at the remaining commercial premises across the county.