06/03/2025
Today marks World Energy Efficiency Day (March 6th) – the perfect time to reflect on steps taken in recent years to meet ambitious, legally binding carbon emissions targets, and to highlight the progress we’ve made on our path towards achieving net-zero.
This past year brought a key milestone in the UK’s energy transition when in September 2024, after 142 years, the last coal-fired power station was extinguished. This world-first achievement was nothing short of remarkable for a country that sparked the industrial revolution and generated 40% of its electricity from burning coal as recently as 2012.
The decline of coal power has coincided with, and been offset by, the large-scale deployment of renewables with wind energy alone now providing around 30% of the UK’s electricity production. However, increasing our reliance on renewables is not straightforward. Wind and solar are infamously unreliable sources of energy in the UK, and a more diverse blend of energy sources that provide fluctuating capacity to the grid results in a very complex balancing act between supply and demand, often resulting in significant wastage.
Innovation is therefore essential for keeping us on track to meet our net-zero targets. Our analysis of recent patent applications, a bellwether for innovation, has revealed an increasing focus in the energy sector towards innovation that facilitates the energy transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives (such as smart grids, batteries, and fuel cells). This marks a significant pivot away from developing technologies underpinning how renewable energy can be generated effectively.
In our recent blog series, we explored how digitalisation – and particularly AI – is playing an important role in facilitating the energy transition by supporting the wider adoption of sustainable energy sources.
Flip the switch this World Energy Efficiency Day and find out more about the growing impact of digitalisation in the energy sector in our blogs below.
The energy transition and its growing reliance on digital technologies raises serious questions about cybersecurity. What role are patents playing in encouraging cybersecurity advancements to safeguard critical infrastructure?
Digitalisation #2 – Generative AI and Renewable Energy
How is generative AI addressing challenges such as the unpredictability of wind and solar energy, and what challenges arise from trying to protect AI-based innovation in Europe?
Digitalisation #3 – Illuminating where Future Innovation may lie in Solar Power Generation
Do recent patent filings suggest that the solar energy industry is focussing on non-power generating technologies, veering away from large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power generation?
Digitalisation #4: Smart grid – a blind spot?
Could smart grids hold the key to saving $1.8 trillion and revolutionizing our energy future…?
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
