University of Exeter to Help Develop Strategic Plan for Guernsey

Academics and students from the University of Exeter are coming to Guernsey on a field visit looking to build upon last year’s visit and to further develop a strategic assessment of the renewable energy potential for Guernsey.

This initiative is part of Commerce and Employment’s, through the Renewable Energy Team (RET), work to progress local macro renewable energy in part through long term strategic alliances with leading UK Universities.

Around 45 undergraduate students studying for a BSc in Renewable Energy and academics will visit the island at the end of May and form different groups to act as renewable energy consultants to study various aspects of Guernsey’s renewable potential.

The work, using both existing and new data, will focus on the potential for development of renewable energy in Guernsey. This work will develop an overall strategy for Guernsey, that RET can incorporate into their ongoing strategy, and bring together all other aspects of the study which include:

1. Photovoltaic projects

2. Offshore wind

3. Overall economic viability for renewable energy in Guernsey

4. Policy, Legislation, Regulation and Licensing

5. Tidal power

6. Others including: Energy Storage; Electrification of transport ; Heat and sustainability; Environmental scoping and onshore wind.

RET has the mandate for macro renewables energy, but it is important to understand this study is in the general context of renewables and it will therefore go slightly wider and look at renewable energy in general.

 Jeremy Thompson, Chairman of RET said: “We are delighted to welcome back the University of Exeter to assist us in further understanding renewable energy within Guernsey. This study will build on the work already done and provide a check on the renewable energy strategy in Guernsey. It will assess Guernsey’s future potential and how we get there.”

Dr Lars Johanning from University of Exeter said: “The University of Exeter has significant expertise in renewables which has an important future in the UK and the Channel Islands and we are pleased to be able to come back to Guernsey and build on previous studies. This visit is another part of our long term relationship with Guernsey.”

The group will prepare a consultant’s report to a standard that is comparable with a professional submission and will deliver a presentation explaining project findings to an audience, to which the media are invited, at the end of May.

To maximise the benefit of the field visit RET and UoE have contacted various key stakeholders, groups and individuals to assist them in their work.

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Press release, May 20, 2013; Image: