Monday 25 January 2021

Solar power grows by 27% across the UK in 2020

Solar power sites were installed across the UK at a record-breaking speed in 2020, seeing 27% growth.

This is according to research from Solar Media and Solar Energy UK, which stated 545MW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity was deployed across the UK. Around 60% of this new capacity came from ground-mounted PV systems, while the remaining 40% was installed on the rooftops of mainly commercial and industrial buildings.

The two companies claim that these figures were underestimated by the government and that 2020 was a year that outdid expectation for solar growth.

Chris Hewett, CEO at Solar Energy UK, said: “These figures show that the government is playing catch-up in its understanding of the strength of the UK’s solar energy industry.

Solar energy will enable people across the country to benefit from clean, cheap power for their homes and technology, such as electric vehicles.”

The research states that solar hit an all-time peak generation record of 9.68GW in April 2020, while in May it supplied 11% of all electricity.