RESTATS: The Renewable Energy Statistics Database for the United Kingdom—an update

SYNOPSIS This paper is a follow-up to “Compiling Renewable Energy Statistics” which appeared in Volume 13 of this journal. The paper argued the need for a project aimed at compiling information on renewable energy schemes running throughout the UK, and went on to describe the Renewable Energy STATisticS (RESTATS) database which was being developed and managed by ETSU. Since the project began, data are now collected from a variety of sources, including other databases and updated annually for publication in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES). Future plans for RESTATS involve incorporating the database into a single system being set up to consolidate all renewable energy data held by ETSU; in addition, opportunities for using Geographic Information Systems (GIs) to assist in surveys and promoting results are being investigated. RESTATS is arguably the most reliable means by which the success of the UK renewables programme can be both measured and monitored.