Is microgeneration the key to a sustainable future?

Microgeneration is the generation of power and low carbon heat for a household, small business or community to meet their own needs.  Microgeneration units tend to be solar panels or wind turbines (or a combination) which are located on or next to the building to create an efficient self-sustaining energy source.

A new report shows that microgeneration could generate as much energy as five nuclear power plants, and for every 1 million homes that establish microgeneration units, 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved (McDermott, 2008).  An incentive basis is being talked about establishing in the UK with reports suggesting a fixed rate of money to be offered to those houses that install a microgeneration unit and feed it into the electric grid.  Efforts must therefore be concentrated on the expansion of renewable energy technologies and the centralised production and distribution in order for this to be a viable solution to begin to combat global warming.

Microgeneration will however not appeal to all members of the public.  A journalist from The Daily Mail states that wind turbines: "... barely produce enough electricity to power a hairdryer in many houses. They also do nothing to tackle greenhouses gases, while there are far better ways to cut down on energy bills" (Laumer, 2006).  Clearly awareness needs to be raised about the advantages of microgeneration to the mass public to stop the reporting of these negative/single minded views!

McDermott, M. (2008) Tree Hugger.  Could Microgeneration be as powerful as Nuclear Energy?http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/microgeneration-as-powerful-as-nuclear.php

Laumer, J. (2006) Tree Hugger. Home Wind Turbines are a Worthless, Dangerous, Wasteful Vanity http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/home_wind_turbi.php