Solar Power has been slowly developing in Britain compared with some other European countries. Due to public subsidies and the falling of equipment costs, solar panels are becoming a more attractive prospect for the region. New investments in the sector are awaited, as firms are setting up plans to buy solar farms and solar plants.
Developing new solar photovoltaic (PV) and related technologies can also further reduce carbon emissions, both by reducing installation and other costs and by broadening the range of applications for solar power. Different types of PV panels could be used on building facades, windows and public spaces. Less costly energy storage technologies would allow solar batteries to be used more widely in off-grid situations and for mobile power.
Advances are continuously being done in the associated technologies of installing panels, energy storage and grid integration. These kinds of emerging solar technologies will help to meet emission reduction targets and fulfil the promise of low cost, widespread solar power in the UK.
Growth in UK’s Renewable Energy Sector
The UK's renewable energy sector is flourishing and much of the gains are being driven by a single technology, specifically solar panels. The region’s solar energy growth compared to previous years is significant, as more investors are turning to this sector with the vision that in the near future it will be the most dependent.
As a result of countries in the European Union setting a target of 20% of energy consumption coming from renewable sources by 2020, the UK government has set up a target as well, of 15% growth. Even though at first glance this may seem like the UK is lagging behind its European neighbours, a report published by the UK government entitled “Section 6- Renewables” shows that the prospects for the sector are improving at a fast pace. As the report states, “solar photovoltaic (solar PV) capacity was the largest contributor to the increase a year earlier, increasing by 1.9 gigawatts [equal to one billion watts], with the majority of this coming from large-scale schemes."
The technological advances in the solar energy sector have made solar panels much more efficient than ever before. This has directly contributed to the falling cost of solar energy up to 50% over the past decade which has led to an increase in the field. But even with the growth of the solar energy sector, the need for cheaper, renewable energy to meet the future demands is still an issue in the present day. Check out here about the opportunities for solar panel grants from the state.
Concern for the Future of Solar Panels in UK
The present increase in the solar energy sector may give insight to a positive future for the technology, however there are also clouds on the horizon, with fears mounting that a move to increasing production by 15% until 2020 would mean covering vast strips of the British countryside in solar panels. This will directly result in raising popular opposition. In fact, some fear will proceed similar to the opposition raised against the wind power sector in the UK.
Another aspect to analyse is the effect of subsidy reductions in the solar energy field which some critics have claimed is an inconsistent message of support from the coalition government. The issue at hand is the expansion of solar farms in the UK countryside, of which the government is not fond of. This raises concern for the future of the region’s agricultural production, currently the number one manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom.
Solar panel manufacturers have increased over the years, along with the expansion of the solar energy field. There is distress that some manufacturers are “cutting corners” in their panel production, the result being inefficient panels composed of inferior materials. A possible solution which may be implemented in the future by the National Solar Center will be to test the panels in a random fashion straight from the manufacturing production line, which will aid in eliminating the low quality manufacturers.
Due to the fast growing pace of solar energy technology, there is fear that UK’s distribution network will be unable to cope. The energy storage capacity must be developed further if there is to be future success in this industry. Such systems, which are already developed in countries such as Germany and Japan, could be used to store renewable energy during the day and introduce it into the distribution network at needed times.
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