The UK has installed solar panels faster than any other European countries. With residential solar panels becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, more people are choosing to use commercial solar panels to power their institutions and businesses. Low Carbon Energy can confirm this as we are busier than ever installing solar panels for businesses in the North West. This includes a wide range of industries.
The UK has installed solar panels faster than any other European countries. With solar panel installers Kent becoming increasingly popular with homeowners, more people are choosing to use commercial solar panels to power their institutions and businesses. Low Carbon Energy can surely attest that the latter is true – we are busier than ever installing solar panels for businesses in North West across a wide range of industries.
So why is Britain so open to commercial solar panels? There are many reasons. Some universal, others specific to the UK. We’ve provided a list of them below. Let’s start with one of the first questions that you may have…
Solar panels can be used in the rain?
Yes. They convert light to heat, not energy. Because they convert light to energy, not heat, they are very useful to UK customers, despite our global reputation for mild and cloudy weather. Your solar panels can still gather energy even when it rains. Our mild climate may actually work in our favor. The panels can be more efficient due to lower temperatures. In addition, we get approximately 60% of the solar radiation that is found at the equator.
It is partly because of this that the UK gets a comparable amount of solar power to Spain or France. In certain areas of the South, we receive approximately the same amounts of sunlight than Germany, which is one the biggest markets in photovoltaics. Already, more electricity is being produced using renewables than nuclear power.
Rapid timeline for solar PV uptake in UK
2010 – The Feed In Tariff program is launched by UK government. It allows customers to earn direct from their solar PV panels and then sell the excess energy back at the government. (This scheme was eliminated by the Smart Export guarantee by 2020.
2013 – The UK is now the world’s 10th largest manufacturer of solar power. (Following seven year, we are number six in that list, following China, Japan Germany, the USA, Italy, Germany, and Germany.
2016 – Britain surpasses the landmark in solar power installation with 25% of the UK’s (250,000) homes now having solar thermal panels.
2018 – The UK’s share of solar power nearly doubles due to more businesses seizing the opportunity. The number of solar farms, both in the home and at work, has risen to around 709,000.
2020 – The UK was on track for 10 million solar panel installations in homes throughout the country by 2020. This would mean that approximately a quarter of all households would be using solar energy. While the Covid-19 pandemic is slowing progress as with most things, it hasn’t stopped the UK’s enthusiasm for solar.
The UK’s uptake of solar PV is rapidly expanding beyond its domestic market. London currently surpasses Madrid in terms the amount of solar energy produced. It’s also becoming more popular with North West England businesses. Low Carbon Energy offers planning, supply, installation services to businesses in many different sectors. This includes agriculture, industry, data centers, hospitals, aerospace, and more. (This is possible because the British government still encourages solar energy use through the Smart Export Garanty, which we will go into more detail about below.
Many countries around Europe and the globe share our enthusiasm for solar energy. By 2050, the International Energy Agency predicts that solar (both fotovoltaic as solar) will be more popular than fossil fuels. This would make it the largest energy source in the world. If the UK maintains its current course, we are likely to remain one the world’s leading countries in the solar revolution.
Why are solar panel so popular in UK?
There are many advantages to solar panels that make them attractive to UK residents and businesses. These include cost savings and practicality as well as economic factors.
Solar panels are popular because they offer many benefits.
Solar panels are a great way to save money on electricity
Smart Export Guarantee permits owners to benefit from excess electricity generation
Solar energy is renewable and eco-friendly. It helps you reach your green goals.
Modern shoppers are more becoming environmentally-conscious
The cost of solar panels is falling
Solar generates jobs and reduces UK dependence on energy imports
Solar panels are cheap and easy to maintain
Customers who live ‘off grid’ have access to it as a source of useful energy.
Solar panels are a great way to save money on your electricity bills
Solar panels save you money. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest appeals of UK-based solar PV installations. It applies to homeowners as well as businesses. They require minimal investment and the bulk of their costs are paid upfront for supply and installation. Instead, they provide free energy for the remainder of their serviceable lifetimes. This helps owners to reduce energy costs and help them save significant money.
Over time, panels have become cheaper and more effective. The cost of solar is also falling (which we’ll discuss in just a moment).
Smart Export Guarantee: Owners can profit from the excess electricity generated
The Smart Export Guarantee is a UK government program that encourages solar PV installations. It allows owners to make a profit from any excess electricity, mainly by giving them the option of selling it back to their supplier. SEG became effective in 2020, replacing the Feed In Tariff.
The key difference between FIT and SEG is that the Feed In Tariff was a tariff in which customers sold electricity directly to the National Grid at rates established by Ofgem. SEG on the other hand allows customers to resell excess energy to their energy supplier. This promotes healthy market competition and encourages suppliers with the best prices.
Solar PV allows owners of solar panels to increase their energy independence.
Solar PV owners can become less dependent on national grid by having a steady source of electricity. Owners of solar PV can benefit from the above-mentioned cost savings and it also offers an effective solution to power outages by providing an emergency backup source for energy. This is crucial for businesses because any moment of downtime can result in hugely costly losses. Being able protect against this can keep productivity high and save money.
It’s an environmentally-friendly, sustainable source of power
This is yet another great advantage of solar energy. Solar panels don’t emit any harmful gaseous or pollutants like fossil fuels. This is a big advantage for UK businesses because it allows them to reduce their environmental impact. It also helps them reach their green targets, helping them become more responsible and socially conscious.
UK attitudes are changing
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly important resource for organizations in a country that is more conscious than ever about the impacts of its purchases on the environment.
We have covered previously how UK citizens are envisioning a new norm. 51% of respondents in a YouGov survey said that there was cleaner air outdoors. Satellite images recently showed a dramatic reduction in emissions. Many people plan to make future changes to improve their lives and expect the same of businesses that they shop.
Business owners must show their corporate social responsibility. Companies that have tangible green credentials are more competitive than others.
The UK solar PV market is experiencing a steady decline in price
The UK’s current solar market is very competitive. However, the technology continues to become cheaper, more efficient, as well as more accessible than ever. In 2010, a 4kW photovoltaic installation cost just over PS20,000. An installation of similar size cost about PS6668 in 2017, which is a 67% reduction in cost, but without sacrificing the returns solar panels provide customers.
Statkraft, a renewable power company, says that the lifetime costs for solar PV will drop about half over the next few years. This flexibility is not available for gas or other fossil fuels. Therefore, solar panels will likely be one of most affordable energy sources by 2030. It’s predicted that solar panels will account for 70% of UK power generation by 2050, making them a more appealing option than ever.
This industry creates new jobs and reduces UK import dependence
The UK’s entire solar power industry is made up of a range of specialties, including installation and maintenance. This creates the possibility to create tens to thousands of jobs for UK residents in the energy industry, helping to increase domestic energy supply and price security. This reduces the UK’s need for electricity imports from abroad. With the support of the government and increasing confidence from the public, the UK could have around 50,000 solar jobs by 2050.
Solar PV installations can be maintained easily
The panels, whether they are commercial or domestic, require very little maintenance once installed. They are easy to maintain, with only occasional cleaning and the replacement of inverters and cables. Most of these parts can last between 25-30 years. These panels offer a long term solution for businesses that will help them save money while reducing costs.
Customers can obtain solar energy “off the grid”.
Solar PV installations can be very useful to individuals, companies, and organisations who might be far away from regular infrastructure. For example, remote counties or islands off British coasts where there might not be access to the National Grid. Solar panels can produce electricity wherever there is sunlight. It is a flexible, accessible and cost-effective method of generating electricity.
