Decentralised Energy Capacity Study

This publication is formed of three reports providing data on, and analysis of, the potential for renewable and low carbon energy in London. This regional assessment breaks down the types of energy that can contribute to the Mayor’s target to supply 25 percent of London’s energy from decentralised sources by 2025.

Report 1 of the publication sets out the methodology and results of an assessment of the technical potential for renewable energy and decentralised energy up to 2031. Report 2 looks at economic viability and deployment constraints, and report 3 considers the deployment of decentralised energy focusing solely on those technologies connected to heat networks.

The study found that the Mayor’s target to supply a quarter of London’s energy demand from renewable and low carbon sources is achievable, provided appropriate national policy support is in place. This requires a combination of energy efficiency measures, microgeneration renewable energy systems, and the use of combined heat and power plants linked to heat networks. The analysis also demonstrates that decentralised energy using heat networks can provide economically viable emission reductions of 0.8MtCO2/yr by 2031 at a cost of around £8billion.

The study was undertaken by the Greater London Authority with funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.