Our policies

IMechE are often asked for insight in to energy-related issues. The following is our responses to the most frequently asked questions about energy production, supply and consumption.

Energy production

1. What are the options for low carbon, secure and affordable electricity supplies?

There are many low carbon power generation options, including renewables, nuclear and fossil-fuels with carbon capture and storage. What's needed is a balanced portfolio of supply sources, coupled with a much stronger focus on energy conservation and efficiency.

2. What is the IMechE view on micro generation?

Applied appropriately, micro-generation systems have a potentially significant role to play in a low carbon, sustainable energy future. We support their ongoing development and phased introduction to the market.

3. What are the IMechE view on renewables (wind, wave, tidal, solar, geothermal and hydro)?

The UK has the natural resources and engineering talent to be a world leader in the development and commercialisation of many renewable technologies. We see the rapid development of a diverse range of renewables as a key priority.

4. What is the IMechE view on nuclear power, decommissioning, waste disposal, storage and transport?

Nuclear power could have a long term role in a balanced, diverse power generation mix. For new nuclear build, public concerns about waste must be addressed, government must provide a stable and fair investment framework with appropriate safeguards, and the private sector must be able to cover the full life-cycle costs.

5. What is the IMechE view on coal-fired power generation?

Coal will continue to play an important role in power generation across the globe. The UK should play its full part in these global markets by developing cleaner technologies such as supercritical, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), combined with technologies to capture and store CO2.

6. What is the IMechE view on carbon capture and storage?

Carbon capture and storage, including enhanced oil recovery, are useful intermediate technologies as we move to a genuinely sustainable, low carbon energy future. As well as helping to reduce carbon emissions, they also provide major export and manufacturing opportunities for UK companies.

7. What is the IMechE view on energy crops, bio-fuels and biomass?

Grown and used sustainably, bio-energy sources can play a significant part in meeting future power, heat and transport needs, both in the UK and overseas, and their development must be encouraged and supported.

8. What is the IMechE view on combined heat and power?

CHP, along with tri-generation (combined heat, cooling & power), has lots of potential to make better use of energy resources and reduce overall carbon emissions. We support their more rapid deployment, particularly at district/community level.

9. What is the IMechE view on energy from waste?

We believe that waste should be viewed as a resource, and that extracting energy from waste is often more sensible than consuming energy to recycle it. Energy can be extracted (e.g. 10% of UK electricity needs) without serious environmental impacts, while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and waste volumes being sent to landfill.

10. What is the IMechE view on hydrogen as an energy source?

The practical delivery of a sustainable hydrogen economy is an option for the long term (after 2020). While ultimately the hydrogen should come from waste and other renewable sources, we also support the development of technologies to extract hydrogen from fossil fuels, while minimising carbon emissions, to build a supply and distribution infrastructure.

11. What is the IMechE's view on fusion research?

We believe that commercially viable fusion energy is unlikely much before 2050. It is right that the UK plays its part in international fusion research, but funding needs to be at an appropriate level and not so high as to distract unduly from more near-market energy R,D & D.

12. What is the IMechE view on wind farms?

Wind is an abundant, clean and sustainable source of energy, and we strongly support its development. While this must be within the context of a diverse energy portfolio, so we do not become overly reliant on wind, there remains potential for many more wind farms, both on-shore and, even more so, off-shore.

13. What is the IMechE view on solar panels on houses?

Solar panels, both for hot water and electricity generation, can play a significant role, even in the UK's climatic conditions, and their use should be encouraged and supported. At present, though, they are rather expensive, inefficient and subject to world shortages of suitable silicon, so research and development is also needed.

14. Can coal power stations be environmentally friendly?

As it involves depleting a finite resource, coal power can never be truly sustainable. It is certainly possible, though, to minimise its other environmental impacts, e.g. by improving efficiencies, reducing emissions, and through capture and storage of CO2.

15. Is 19,000 wind turbines a viable option to power the whole UK?

We're not aware of any realistic proposals to meet the UK's electricity needs with any one option, be it wind or any other. What's needed is a diverse and balanced portfolio of supply options, and wind can and should be a key part of the mix.

16. What will the power generation of the UK be in 20 years time?

We're not into trying to predict so far ahead, but it is likely that we will have a diverse portfolio of supply sources, with a growing contribution from various centralised and distributed renewables and micro-generation technologies, alongside nuclear, gas and coal (with carbon capture and storage).

Energy supply

1. Is security of supply an issue for the UK? How can we solve this issue?

Security of supply is becoming more of an issue as the UK moves towards import dependency for meeting its energy needs. Security can be improved by diversifying supply sources, using indigenous sources and keeping reserves in strategic storage facilities.

2. Does IMechE support forcing energy companies to encourage energy efficiency?

The Energy Efficiency Commitment has successfully delivered energy conservation and efficiency measures, and its scope and funding should be widened to exploit still more opportunities. In the longer term, we would like to see a move towards an energy services model, where energy companies are incentivised, within a market framework, to deliver the heat, light and power service outputs their customers need while minimising energy inputs.

3. If the government did one thing to help supply of power it would be?

The key future priority is to control and ultimately reduce energy demand, so if the government did one thing, it should be to provide a market, regulatory, fiscal and policy framework that incentivises and delivers substantial energy conservation and efficiency improvements, including in the power sector.

Energy consumption

1. How can we heat our buildings without over reliance on fossil fuels?

Through good design and construction, buildings can be built to effectively keep themselves warm in winter and cool in summer, with minimal fossil energy input. Options for existing buildings include better insulation, and more extensive use of renewable heat technologies and Combined Heat and Power.

2. What can we do to control or reduce energy demand?

We can all identify ways to reduce our energy use, by avoiding waste and adopting more energy efficient technologies, in our homes, work places, travel and leisure activities.

3. Should all new builds have environmentally friendly energy generation units added as standard?

First priority must be to design and construct buildings to minimise their in-use energy needs. Having done that, making use of renewable and low carbon micro-generation technologies as far as practicable makes a lot of sense, to improve overall system efficiencies, lower carbon emissions and reduce operational costs.