Our Insight papers offer detailed and evidence-based thought leadership on key market characteristics. They are designed to provide thought-provoking perspectives and recommendations as well as contribute to industry debates. Through a combination of in-depth industry knowledge and practical experience, our Insight papers will help you keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the market.
Low carbon generation
Though this is not the original intention of the REGO scheme, REGOs have increasingly become seen as a mechanism to provide support to increase the build-out of renewable generation in GB. This report therefore examines the question “has trading in REGOs provided an effective incentive for investment in new renewable...
Regulation and policy
Soaring inflation and interest rates, combined with supply chain issues and labour shortages, have pushed up the cost of capital and increased the costs needed to finance renewable projects. With the latest round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme set to open to applications this month many in the...
Power and gas networks
In December 2022, we published our insight paper, Another winter of discontent? What happens to the UK this winter, and next, if the gas taps from Russia stay turned off? discussing concerns for European and UK gas supply during winters 2022-23 and 2023-24, and the key variables that could influence...
Business supply and services
In light of the financial pressures faced by enterprises from rising inflation and interest rates, tight supply chains and labour markets, alongside high energy bills, this paper investigates to what extent decarbonisation is still a priority for corporates and how progress towards net zero has been impacted by recent developments....
Home supply and services
Smart meters have the potential to play a critical role in energy security, providing near real-time information through a visual in-home display, empowering consumers to change how much energy they use and when they use it. If consumers reduce or shift their energy consumption away from peak periods, they may...
Power and gas networks
Substantial reductions in Russian gas supply to Europe and increased global competition for LNG cargoes have resulted in substantially elevated gas prices for the UK this winter (2022-23) compared to the historical norm. Our forecasts indicate that this could not be a single winter problem, with tight supply and high...
Business supply and services
With the energy crisis squeezing the budgets of households and businesses, an increasing number of customers are struggling to meet their bills, despite the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) and other forms of support provided by the Government. As millions more people fall into fuel poverty, energy suppliers’ bad debt –...
Energy storage and flexibility
As the UK transitions to net zero, the energy generation mix will become increasingly dominated by intermittent renewable generators, thus promoting a need for greater flexibility within the energy system. Setting up a new site, especially for storage assets, is currently a long and often costly process. Co-location is where...
Home supply and services
In its first month in office, the Truss Government has introduced policies to addressthe cost of the energy crisis. On the domestic front, the Energy Price Guarantee(EPG) has been implemented as a support scheme for households due from 1October 2022 and for the next two winters. In this paper, our...
Energy storage and flexibility
Recent challenges have emphasised the recurring importance of the energy trilemma, namely the need to decarbonise the energy system while ensuring energy security and affordability. The government announced its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) in April 2022 to address these issues. In July, the government published a consultation paper...
Low carbon generation
MCS Charitable Foundation (“MCS”) in its charity goal of decarbonising homes, heat and energy has commissioned us to calculate the costs of blue and green hydrogen, based on current and projected gas prices. This report sets out our methodology for this forecast, and our findings in terms of delivered prices...
Business supply and services
The challenging gas supply situation and record-high electricity prices are putting considerable pressures on the GB economy as we enter winter 2022-23. Unfortunately, as the winter approaches, wholesale energy prices are set to rise even further, constraining the growth of businesses that were starting to recover from the scars of...
E-mobility and low carbon
At the back end of 2020, the government published a plan to put an end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by the end of the decade. While welcome news for many, this target – the most ambitious in the G7 – brought into...
Low carbon generation
From 6 April 2022 it has become mandatory for over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies to disclose their climate-related financial information in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. As part of this, all corporations on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Official List (are “listed”) are required...
Low carbon generation
Contributors from Womble Bond Dickinson: Richard Cockburn, Chris Towner, Matt Lewy, Anthony Alderman, Vicki Redman, Simon Hughes, Sebastian Briggs, Lisa Rushton, Belton Zeigle The United Kingdom is well placed to play a key role in global efforts to dramatically reduce carbon emissions over the coming decades. An urgent need to...
Business supply and services
This report outlines the challenges that energy intensive industries (EIIs) face in decarbonising their heat supply, (currently dominated by natural gas) by switching to grid-supplied electricity. The paper has been sponsored by the Confederation for Paper Industries (CPI) and therefore has a particular focus. However, many of the challenges highlighted...
Low carbon generation
With climate change high on the agenda, many countries are looking at decarbonising their electricity generation and incorporating more renewable generation into their electricity systems. This research snapshot focuses on energy market design in Great Britain (GB), Ireland and Australia, considering what is being done to adapt to the changing...
Home supply and services
Ireland has an ambitious vision to reach net zero by 2050, and decarbonising residential heating is a significant challenge. This report examines the potential for hydrogen-based heating solutions in decarbonising residential heating in Ireland.On comparing the various options of using hydrogen for domestic heating in Ireland, hydrogen blending in the...
Business supply and services
A corporate power purchase agreement (or CPPA) is an agreement between a generator and a corporate end-user. Typically, it will set out pre-agreed volumes, contract length and price, which will be on a bespoke basis. The energy is delivered over the public network, so the negotiations are essentially about appropriately...
Low carbon generation
In our latest short research paper, we consider policy options and solutions for the building and repowering of assets across GB, Ireland, and Australia. While technology can be uitilised to optimize renewable energy assets and extend their life, the components and materials from decommissioned assets can be refurbished, reused or...
Net zero corporates and ESG
An increasing number of businesses are looking to reduce their emissions and become sustainable to align with the government’s net zero strategy. Setting targets is crucial for companies with complexity across sectors, technologies and business structures. This paper, in partnership with Shoosmiths, explores the potential routes to decarbonisation that businesses...
Net zero corporates and ESG
This paper addresses one of the fundamental issues in the transition to net zero: how to resolve the accrual of national decarbonisation benefits with the imposition of regional network costs through distribution charges. It examines this through the lens of North Scotland, where the tension between these two forces is...
E-mobility and low carbon
Cornwall Insight and TLT spoke to stakeholders in the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging space about the charging infrastructure market and the business models that support it. The UK’s 2030 petrol and diesel car sales ban is igniting the charging infrastructure race. However, there are still challenges ahead related to technology,...
Business supply and services
Hydrogen has an important role in decarbonising the industrial sector; simultaneously, industries need to redesign and reinvent their processes to use hydrogen. Low carbon hydrogen should be adopted in applications with maximum emission reduction potential to maximise its decarbonisation potential. Read here Training on Net zero transition: Low carbon heat...
Home supply and services
A connected home is defined as one with multiple integrated devices that can be automated and easily controlled to create a safe, convenient, and comfortable environment. The largest companies operating in the connected home sector are the technology majors such as Amazon, Google and Apple, but there are also many...
Energy storage and flexibility
With battery storage and demand side response (DSR) set to play a significant role in supporting the delivery of greater amounts of renewable power and managing electricity networks, we consider revenue streams for related flexibility services across GB, Ireland, and Australia. While outside the scope of this paper, routes to...
Net zero corporates and ESG
Ahead of COP26, Cornwall Insight and TLT spoke to industry leaders about the UK’s progress with building a green finance market and what’s needed to make green finance mainstream. As the whole world looks to the Glasgow summit for new, progressive policies, what do businesses, investors and financial institutions deem...
Home supply and services
The domestic energy supply market has gone through a period of intense competition over the last five years. Lower barriers to entry saw a rise in licensed competitors to a peak of 62 in 2018, diversifying propositions, service and added value options for consumers. Today, that number has fallen to...
Low carbon generation
There is no single technological fix to resolve the climate crisis. Instead, a range of technologies must be developed and deployed at scale to tackle the vast challenges associated with the deep decarbonisation of the economy. This report will cover a few of those technologies, including carbon capture, hydrogen, floating...
