Britain's Green Energy Sector Brightens: Survey Data

Green energy has boomed in Britain over the last three years, according to survey data published Thursday which also highlighted accelerating investment in wind power.

Turnover in Britain's low carbon and renewable energy sector expanded 15.5 percent to ?46.7 billion ($60.8 billion, 54.6 billion euros) in 2018 compared with 2015, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a report.

That rapid growth helped create and sustain a total of 224,800 full-time jobs, compared with 200,800 three years earlier.

The expansion was achieved against the backdrop of Britain's long-standing vow to become carbon neutral by 2050, when it hopes to achieve net zero for UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The sector's biggest component was the energy efficient products -- which includes the design, manufacture or installation of energy efficient doors, windows and insulation.

Sales of energy efficient products, excluding lighting, comprised about one third of the total at ?16.7 billion in 2018, according to the ONS.

The next biggest component was low emission vehicles, whose turnover stood at ?4.4 billion in the same year.

Turning to wind power, the ONS said acquisitions of capital assets in this area accelerated to ?4.2 billion in 2018, up from just ?700 million in 2015.

The annual ONS survey was based on a sample of 24,000 businesses in low-carbon sectors, collecting data on turnover, imports, exports, employment, aquisitions and asset disposals.