[Arragonis]

At the last estimate published here, Renewable energy in general generated less than 1% of the total required for the country. The cost per unit of energy produced is 10-20x that of conventional power.

In Spain they have one of the most advanced solar energy companies in the world - real pioneers in everything from the panels themselves to how to arrange them and how to store the heat energy (salt piles) so it can be used when its needed. But even the boss of that company readily admits that his company only survives from tax subsidies.

A study here in the UK (maybe even Scotland specifically) also calculated that because of the rise in energy costs to provide subsidies for that 1% of the total to survive, a number of companies were considering moving production overseas. The loss of jobs because of that outnumbers any "green" jobs created.

I'm glad to see the technology going and I would like to see governments encouraging it with SEED funding or even trials to see if it works. I object to the government spending billions on it, especially when I'm being told that everything else - education, healthcare and even defence - has to be the subject of spending cuts and these subsidies seem to be going to make rich people far richer for doing no good whatsoever. And also when something like 25% of households in the UK are already in energy poverty - the heat or eat decision.