Solar power in the United Kingdom

Solar panels on the BedZED development in London

Solar potential in Europe

The CIS Tower, Manchester, England, was clad in PV panels at a cost of £5.5 million. It started feeding electricity to the national grid in November 2005.

Solar power is a minor source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom. As of August 2011, about 200 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic power have been installed in the UK, capable of producing about 200 gigawatt hours (GW·h) per year of electricity. In April 2010, the UK instituted a feed-in tariff, offering at least 36p (US$0.60) per kW·h. In its first year, 77.8 MWp of photovoltaic capacity were installed — three times as much as in the previous year, but still only representing 0.1% of total electricity production. Solar thermal capacity to supply hot water was expected to grow to 25 MWth in 2006.

Solar Resource

The UK's insolation is less than 120 W(th)/m² (2.9 kW·h/m²/day, or 1050 kW·h/m²/year) — a fraction of that in subtropical locales such as Spain and North Africa. The insolation in the south of the country however is comparable with that of much of Germany, which is one of the biggest markets for photovoltaics in the world. Additionally, the higher wind speeds that can be found in the UK can cool PV modules, leading to higher efficiencies than could be expected at these levels of insolation.

George Monbiot, an environmentalist seeking to replace fossil fuels with carbon-free sources of energy, opposes subsidies for solar power within the UK, "because the facts show unequivocally that this is a terrible investment." On the other hand, Derry Newman, chief executive of Solarcentury, argues that the UK's "famously overcast weather does not make it an unsuitable place for solar power, as solar panels work on daylight, not necessarily direct sunlight."

History

In 2006, the United Kingdom had installed 12.5 MWp of photovoltaic capacity represented 0.3% of the European total of 3.4GWp.

Due to an EU agreement to generate 15% of electricity from renewables by 2020, in June 2008 a new programme to encourage homeowners to generate their own electricity was announced, which will include a feed-in tariff.

PV commercialisation

In August 2006 there was widespread news coverage in the United Kingdom of the major high street electrical retailers (Currys) decision to stock PV modules, manufactured by Sharp, at a cost of £1,000 per module. The retailer also provides an installation service.

The introduction of the Feed in Tariff in 2010 saw rapid growth of the UK photovoltaic market, with many thousands of domestic installations along with numerous commercial, community and industrial projects. On 13 July 2011, construction of the largest solar park in the United Kingdom was completed in Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire. The 5 MW free-field system was built just in seven weeks after being granted planning permission. The system will generate an estimated 4,860 MW·h of electricity (an average power of 560 kW) into the national grid each year. There are several other examples of 4–5 MW field arrays of photovoltaics in the UK, including the 5MW Langage Solar Park, the 5 MW Westmill Solar Farm, the 4.51 MW Marsten Solar Farm and Toyotas 4.6 MW plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire. The cuts to the feed in tariff made in the fast track review announced by DECC on 9 June 2011 mean that large arrays of solar photovoltaics are now a much less attractive investment opportunity for developers (especially for projects greater than 250 kW), so large field arrays such as these are unlikely to be built beyond the 1 August 2011 cut off date.

PV manufacture

• The world's largest PV manufacturer, Sharp Solar, has a facility in Llay near Wrexham.
• G42i is building (2007) the world's first commercial scale dye sensitized TiO₂ module plant.
• Solar Century offers BIPV modules to fit with standard UK concrete tiles.

Government programmes

The Energy Saving Trust that administers government grants for domestic photovoltaic systems, the Low Carbon Building Programme, estimates that an installation for an average-sized house would cost between £5,000–£8,000 per kWp installed, with most domestic systems usually between 1.5 and 3 kWp, and yield annual savings between £150 and £200.

Green Energy for Schools

The Green Energy for Schools programme will be providing 100 schools across the UK with solar panels. The first school in Wales was the Tavernspite School, near Whitland, which has received panels worth £20,000, sufficient to produce 3,000 kW·h of electricity each year.

Feed in tariff

Discussion on implementation of a feed-in tariff programme concluded on 26 September 2008, and the results will be published in the spring of 2009. One story used the language "They will be able to sell back surplus electricity at premium prices to the national grid.", which is not a feed-in tariff, it is simply a means of reconciling any surplus from a net metering programme. The key word is "surplus", not the word "sell". Net metering only requires the existing home electric meter, while a feed in tariff requires installation of a separate meter to measure generation. Australia has been criticized for implementing a similar programme, paying AU$0.60 (about £0.28) for each kWh over what is used each month, with Environment Victoria Campaigns Director Mark Wakeham calling it a "fake feed-in tariff". The government in the UK agreed in April 2010 to pay for all grid-connected generated electricity at an initial rate of up to 41.3p (US$0.67) per kW·h, whether used locally or exported. The rates proved more attractive than necessary, and in August 2011, were drastically reduced for installations over 50 kW, a policy change criticized as marking "the end of the UK’s solar industry as we know it".

Statistics

Year	2008	2009	2010	2011
Capacity (MW)	22	27	77	761
Generation (GW·h)	17	20	33
% of total electricity consumption	<0.001	<0.001	0.001

See also

• Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
• Energy policy of the United Kingdom
• Green electricity in the United Kingdom
• Solar power in the European Union
• UK-ISES
• HomeSun Ltd
• United Kingdom National Renewable Energy Action Plan

External links

• UK's First Solar Plant Gets Go-ahead: A disused tin mine is set to host the UK's first Solar Panel park after winning approval from Cornwall Council.
• Energy statistics from DECC