The Government’s decision to accelerate solar energy deployment from the smallest to the largest scale has been applauded by the UK’s fast-growing solar energy industry.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband laid out several emergency measures, in response to the fossil fuel supply crisis caused by the war in Iran.
Unexpectedly bringing forward the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) renewables auction to July will have the biggest impact, helping to push expensive natural gas off the grid and cut bills, says Solar Energy UK. The latest round secured a record 13.3 gigawatts of capacity – enough to power 23 million homes – 4.9GW of it from solar farms, to be deployed over the next few years.
Lessons learned from the recent Fingleton Review of the nuclear sector will also be applied to renewables and other infrastructure, Miliband said.
Modern Eco-Friendly Home with Solar Panels (Image: D. Goug/Pexels)
Accelerating Solar Energy
At the opposite end of the market, plug-in (or ‘balcony’) solar panels will soon be permitted for use in the UK for the first time.
Having been in common use in Germany, the Netherlands and other countries for some years, the technology can be deployed quickly on walls or on the balconies of flats, where conventional rooftop installations would be impossible – although their ability to cut home running costs is much less than a conventional domestic rooftop array and battery system.
The roll-out of the Warm Homes Plan, which will provide grants and interest-free loans for solar power, batteries and other home energy upgrades, will also be accelerated.
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