RenewableUK, formerly known as the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), is the

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...

for

wind power Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...

wave power Wave power is the capture of energy of wind waves to do useful mechanical work, work – for example, electricity generation, desalination, or pumping water. A machine that exploits wave power (physics), power is a wave energy converter (WEC). W ...

and

tidal power Tidal power or tidal energy is harnessed by converting energy from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity using various methods. Although not yet widely used, tidal energy has the potential for future electricity generation. T ...

industries in the United Kingdom.

History

A number of

universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

active in wind energy in the 1970s met under umbrella of the ITDG Wind Panel (Intermediate Technology Development Group). The BWEA was formed from the ITDG Wind Panel along with other interested parties and representatives from industry, to promote

wind power in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective. By 2023, the UK had over 11 thousand ...

. The inaugural meeting of the BWEA took place on 17 November 1978 at the Rutherford Laboratory with Peter Musgrove of

Reading University The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

as chairman. In 2004 the British Wind Energy Association expanded its remit to include wave and tidal energy, and to use the Association's experience to guide these technologies along the same path to commercialisation. In December 2009, to reflect this expansion in the industries it represented, members resolved to adopt the new name of RenewableUK.

RenewableUK Cymru

The members of RenewableUK are represented in Wales by RenewableUK Cymru, the

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

-based branch of the organisation. The remit in Wales expanded in February 2014 to include all renewable energy technologies and energy storage.

Criticisms

Advertising Standards Authority ruling

In 2008 the then BWEA was found by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to have overstated the carbon dioxide emissions displaced by wind generation. The BWEA and its members had claimed a value of 860 grams per kilowatt hour but the ASA found this was exaggerated by 100% and ordered the BWEA to reduce the figure to 430 grams.

Notes

External links