Power from renewables - getting to the truth

Readers letters

I'm not sure that pumped storage is truly renewable - it must depend on where the power for the pumps comes from

In January's Professional Engineer you published a claim by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) that 8.6% of electricity is being generated from renewable sources. Paul Spare quotes generation from the NETA website showing the figure to be under 3% (2.7% pumped storage and 0.2% wind).

This prompted me to check the NETA website today, 28th January. At 9:30am the figures for the last 24 hours for renewables were wind 0.5%, non pumped storage hydro power 0.4% and pumped storage 0.7%. I'm not sure that pumped storage is truly renewable - it must depend on where the power for the pumps comes from. However if we include pumped storage the figure for renewables is 1.6% over the last 24 hours.

So what is the truth?

Are the DECC flattering the renewables % by using nominal installed capacities rather than actual generation figures to produce their % renewables figure? I know journalists are always under time pressure to hit publication deadlines but it is important to ask such questions rather than just publish press releases if our journal is to be of real value.

Perhaps you can set the record straight with some investigative journalism, or an article by the Institution's senior staff, looking at the success of recent energy policies and the implications for our government's plans. Press releases from that article can then ensure professional engineering makes a real contribution to all our futures and raises the status of engineers.