Climate Change and Microgeneration

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to working with global partners to secure a low carbon future for all. That's why the UK helped secure agreement to a binding target that 20% of the EU’s energy should come from renewable sources by 2020. We are fully committed to meeting our fair share of this and the European Commission has proposed that 15% of all our energy (electricity, heat and transport) should come from renewables by 2020.

But it’s not just about high-level action. Climate change is something we can all take responsibility for. Which is where Microgeneration comes in.

Microgeneration is the small-scale production of heat and/or electricity from a low carbon source. The technologies that make up microgeneration includes solar power, micro-wind (including the new rooftop mounted turbines), mini hydro, heat pumps, biomass, micro combined heat and power (micro CHP) and small-scale fuel cells.

These technologies have much to offer in helping us to achieve our objectives of tackling climate change, ensuring reliable energy supplies and tackling fuel poverty. As well as providing low carbon energy to homes and small commercial buildings, microgeneration can provide the same service to community buildings, such as leisure centres and schools. In such premises, not only does the microgeneration installation help to reduce carbon emissions; it can also help to educate and inform communities about energy and, hopefully, persuade people to reduce their own carbon footprint.

Microgeneration and Spain

Spain is an ideal partner for the microgeneration concept. The Spanish target for renewables is 12% by 2010 and Spain is well on its way to achieving this. Wind alone is expected to reach 20,155mw by 2010. New legislation this year gives a further impulse to the sector in general and especially to solar pv, biomass/biofuels and wind.

Spanish companies have shown their ability to respond to climate change needs, and are contributing to the UK hitting its own renewable targets with major inward investment. And the people of Spain are increasingly mobilising under the environmental banner, committed to working together to provide a cleaner future for all.

The UK-Spain Microgeneration Seminars

Organised by the British Embassy’s UKTI Energy team, the Microgeneration seminars are events aimed at bringing together UK suppliers with local partners who can see opportunities for  microgeneration technologies in their markets. It's not just about doing business. These seminars encourage collaboration between the UK and Spain and provide a platform for knowledge sharing and co-operation, so that all parties involved can better understand the issues of tackling climate change in the region.

Our last seminar was hosted in Madrid and Lisbon in November 2006. Such was the success of the event that we are running a second seminar this year. The seminar will again be hosted in both Madrid and Lisbon and will take place in October 2008. Details of the event will be posted on this website nearer the time. In the meantime you can read more about the First Microgeneration Seminar in November 2006 to get a better understanding of what the seminars have to offer.