http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/4234/

The UK Government's energy statistics for the first quarter of this year and 2010 paint a mixed picture with renewables output up by 27% but coal demand also up just over 6%.

In positive news for the clean tech sector, renewable generation capacity increased by nearly 1.2 GW last year, reaching a total of 25,734 GWh of electricity produced during the year.

The overall 2.2% increase includes a 75% surge in offshore wind generation while, by comparison, onshore wind generation fell by 6%. However, wind conditions were particularly unfavourable in 2010, with wind speeds at the lowest for a century and rainfall 63% lower than the previous year.

Meanwhile, renewable heat - even ahead of the Government's forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive - saw an increase of 17%.
But while renewables surged ahead, gas consumption fell by over 11% in the first quarter of the year. Demand for gas was also down 15% compared with last year, for both electricity generation (down over 20%) and industry (down 8%).

For the first time, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) also published an analysis of energy consumption data by different property types and households.

The National Energy Efficiency Data-framework (NEED) analysis reveals that larger properties and higher incomes are correlated with much higher gas consumption. For example, a four-bedroom home typically consumes nearly 70% more than a two-bedroom home.

But the Government's drive to encourage the installation of cavity-wall insulation is starting to pay dividends, with the figure revealing that homes can reduce their gas usage by over 2000 kWh.