ECO-MINDED residents in Warwickshire are already signing up to a cleaner, greener future say power chiefs.
Western Power Distribution (WPD), the electricity network operator for the Midlands, has seen growing numbers of county homes connecting to low carbon technologies (LCTs), like electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, wind turbines and solar power.
Following climate crisis talks at COP26 in Glasgow, WPD is preparing to connect thousands more EVs and heat pumps to its network across Warwickshire by 2050.
Across the county, WPD is forecasting that it will connect more than 410,000 EVs to its network by 2050 and almost 320,000 heat pumps.
The volume of other LCTs, including solar and wind generation, is also expected to increase. In Warwickshire, there is expected to be 475 MW of installed solar capacity by 2050 – generating enough energy to power almost 140,000 homes for a year.
Wind generation in Warwickshire is forecast to reach 55.2 MW by 2050, powering the equivalent of almost 40,000 homes a year.
WPD’s system development manager Paul Jewell said: “At a time when all eyes are on COP26, people in Warwickshire are already taking their own steps to reduce their impact on the environment and to minimise climate change.
“At WPD, we’re working hard to ensure that, as more people make the switch to LCTs, they can connect as quickly and easily as possible. We’re also working on a range of innovative solutions, such as Take Charge, to develop rapid charging at motorway service stations.
“We are also working with community and local energy projects and have pledged to reduce our own environmental impact by becoming a net zero business by 2028. It’s important that we lead from the front and by example when it comes to decarbonisation and to deliver a greener, fairer energy future for everyone across Warwickshire and beyond.”
