We are the UK’s leading firm specialising exclusively in renewable energy land rent audits. We are dedicated to ensuring that those who have invested in renewables receive full and accurate returns from the green energy produced.
By Accounting for Energy – (3 min read)
BEIS figures declared 2017 the greenest year so far, with pre-Christmas figures showing renewable electricity generation up by 5% year-on-year. But what does this mean for investors and operators? And how does the financial case for renewables stack up against traditional fossil fuels?
In the past, renewables faced two major barriers when it came to investment – appetite, and cost. Many investors were put off by what they perceived to be the uncertainty of renewables projects. Energy storage, and transmission and siting challenges were often listed as problems and, quite simply, backers were more comfortable with the familiarity of fossil fuels. Thankfully, change has come. These days, green finance is not only becoming routine, but research by HSBC shows that 68% of global investors are planning to increase their low carbon investments.
Capital costs for renewables sometimes seem high. However, the majority of the finance is called for at the build stage and, once up and running, plants are extremely cheap to operate. If costs are assessed over the lifespan of the facility, wind and solar offer one of the most cost-efficient options for energy generation. Add to this the fact that capital costs for hardware such as photovoltaic modules (which dropped by 80% in 10 years) have fallen solidly year on year, and the investment looks much more appealing.
Where fossil fuel technologies operate within an established array of infrastructure and skill, renewables – which tend to be smaller scale, decentralised operations – are relatively new technologies which also require connecting up to wider infrastructures. A growing army of expertise and rapid advances in equipment are overcoming these challenges and helping to make renewables a viable financial proposition.
According to a report from the World Economic Forum, solar and wind have already achieved parity with fossil fuels in more than 30 countries. Ten years ago, solar generation cost around $600 per MWh, compared with $100 for coal and natural gas. Today, solar has reduced its costs to $100, with wind at $50 – half the cost of established fossil fuels.
At some point in the 2020s, newly installed renewable projects are expected to undercut the cost of producing electricity from traditional plants, at which point there is likely to be an even faster swing to clean energy.
This could be the incentive needed to drive change in the UK which, despite making impressive inroads to carbon reduction, is still falling short of its legally-binding climate change targets.
To check whether your land rent payments are accurate, get in touch with our specialists auditors today.
Never miss an update
Watch to find out more
Click the play button below to find out more about what we do and how we can help you or your organisation.
You may also be interested in…
Check out the below blog which we think may also be of interest to you.
By Accounting for Energy – (3 min read)
There are an estimated 7000 onshore wind turbines across the UK which have an operational capacity of 12,078 MW* – one-fifth of this capacity is due to the record-breaking amount of wind power that was created in 2017. Wind power has had a good run recently, which wouldn’t be possible without the landowners who contribute a vast amount to the energy sector and often get little recognition for it.
“We found your report informative and easy to read, it was good to see how the wind farm is performing and we were pleased with the results of the audit”
Mark Charles, Exeter
“Job well done”
Sara James, Durham
“Early non-payment discovered so very happy with outcome”
Martin Roberts, Peterborough
“Excellent service. The review has given me peace of mind”
Tracy Maria, Cumbria
‘We found the report very thorough and really interesting and were pleased that the payments have been corrected and appreciate your help with this very much’
David Terrence, Devon
“In every instance Accounting for Energy have identified and recovered shortfalls in rent for my clients. Not only do the landowners receive back payments but they are also keen to show developers that they are being held to account.”
Chris Thyer MRICS FAAV Land Agent, GSC Grays
“We don’t have comparable leases in renewable energy meaning there are few examples to draw from, so it’s always good to have checks and balances in place. We would recommend Accounting for Energy for their diligence.”
Ali Walker Property Co-ordinator, Bath and Wells Diocese, Church of England
“The information provided by the turbine owner seemed to be comprehensive. The issue comes with knowing if all the data is complete and the audit was able to identify areas that we should have been receiving royalties on.”
Ben Ardern Financial Controller, Dewlay Cheesemakers
“I worked with Travis on a set of arbitral proceedings to recover unpaid royalties on behalf of the landowners of a large renewable energy site. I was very inspired by his passion for his industry and his tireless commitment to getting the best results.”
Sarah Bishop, Commercial Disputes Solicitor
“Travis is the go-to person for renewable energy landowner royalty payments. He gets into the details of a case, and is very tenacious in identifying and recovering any monies owed to landowners.”
Grant Jones, Chartered accountant, solicitor and practicing arbitrator
“I would recommend Accounting for Energy because they are clearly experts in this area, and they were good to work with. It was an easy decision to get them on board because we really didn’t have the expertise or the time to be trawling through the lease and power purchase agreement.”
Nick Kenyon, CEO, Dewlay Cheesemakers
“We found your report informative and easy to read, it was good to see how the wind farm is performing and we were pleased with the results of the audit”
Mark Charles, Exeter
“Job well done”
Sara James, Durham
“Early non-payment discovered so very happy with outcome”
Martin Roberts, Peterborough
“Excellent service. The review has given me peace of mind”
Tracy Maria, Cumbria
“We found the report very thorough and really interesting and were pleased that the payments have been corrected and appreciate your help with this very much”
David Terrence, Devon
“In every instance Accounting for Energy have identified and recovered shortfalls in rent for my clients. Not only do the landowners receive back payments but they are also keen to show developers that they are being held to account.”
Chris Thyer MRICS FAAV Land Agent, GSC Grays
“We don’t have comparable leases in renewable energy meaning there are few examples to draw from, so it’s always good to have checks and balances in place. We would recommend Accounting for Energy for their diligence.”
Ali Walker Property Co-ordinator, Bath and Wells Diocese, Church of England
“The information provided by the turbine owner seemed to be comprehensive. The issue comes with knowing if all the data is complete and the audit was able to identify areas that we should have been receiving royalties on.”
Ben Ardern Financial Controller, Dewlay Cheesemakers
“I worked with Travis on a set of arbitral proceedings to recover unpaid royalties on behalf of the landowners of a large renewable energy site. I was very inspired by his passion for his industry and his tireless commitment to getting the best results.”
Sarah Bishop, Commercial Disputes Solicitor
“Travis is the go-to person for renewable energy landowner royalty payments. He gets into the details of a case, and is very tenacious in identifying and recovering any monies owed to landowners.”
Grant Jones, Chartered accountant, solicitor and practising arbitrator
““I would recommend Accounting for Energy because they are clearly experts in this area, and they were good to work with. It was an easy decision to get them on board because we really didn’t have the expertise or the time to be trawling through the lease and power purchase agreement.”
Nick Kenyon, CEO, Dewlay Cheesemakers
“We found your report informative and easy to read, it was good to see how the wind farm is performing and we were pleased with the results of the audit”
Mark Charles, Exeter
“Job well done”
Sara James, Durham
“Early non-payment discovered so very happy with outcome”
Martin Roberts, Peterborough
“Excellent service. The review has given me peace of mind”
Tracy Maria, Cumbria
‘We found the report very thorough and really interesting and were pleased that the payments have been corrected and appreciate your help with this very much’
David Terrence, Devon
“In every instance Accounting for Energy have identified and recovered shortfalls in rent for my clients. Not only do the landowners receive back payments but they are also keen to show developers that they are being held to account.”
Chris Thyer MRICS FAAV Land Agent, GSC Grays
“We don’t have comparable leases in renewable energy meaning there are few examples to draw from, so it’s always good to have checks and balances in place. We would recommend Accounting for Energy for their diligence.”
Ali Walker Property Co-ordinator, Bath and Wells Diocese, Church of England
“The information provided by the turbine owner seemed to be comprehensive. The issue comes with knowing if all the data is complete and the audit was able to identify areas that we should have been receiving royalties on.”
Ben Ardern Financial Controller, Dewlay Cheesemakers
“I worked with Travis on a set of arbitral proceedings to recover unpaid royalties on behalf of the landowners of a large renewable energy site. I was very inspired by his passion for his industry and his tireless commitment to getting the best results.”
Sarah Bishop, Commercial Disputes Solicitor
“Travis is the go-to person for renewable energy landowner royalty payments. He gets into the details of a case, and is very tenacious in identifying and recovering any monies owed to landowners.”
Grant Jones, Chartered accountant, solicitor and practicing arbitrator
“I would recommend Accounting for Energy because they are clearly experts in this area, and they were good to work with. It was an easy decision to get them on board because we really didn’t have the expertise or the time to be trawling through the lease and power purchase agreement.”
Nick Kenyon, CEO, Dewlay Cheesemakers
Arrange a call back, visit or send us an email. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Fill in your details below and we will get back to you
