Current UK renewables statistics showcase vital progress but additionally spotlight the essential position that business rooftop photo voltaic installations should play within the nation’s renewable vitality transition, says photo voltaic options agency Solivus.
Based on the newest Power Tendencies report from the Division of Power Safety and Internet Zero (DESNZ),1 renewable vitality accounted for greater than half (50.8%) of the UK’s electrical energy technology for the primary time in 2024. Solar energy alone reached a file excessive, growing by 6.5% to 14.8TWh. Nonetheless, regardless of home photo voltaic installations comprising the vast majority of photo voltaic quantity, they contribute solely 30% of the UK’s complete photo voltaic capability
Whereas these figures mark vital progress within the UK’s low-carbon economic system, light-weight photo voltaic specialist Solivus argues that business rooftop photo voltaic stays an underutilised alternative.
Jo Parker-Swift, CEO and founding father of Solivus, acknowledged: “Solar energy is central to the UK’s web zero ambitions, and it’s unbelievable to see the nation’s photo voltaic capability rising at such a formidable price. Nonetheless, a lot of the main target stays on residential installations, whereas the actual sport changer lies within the growth of economic photo voltaic. That is the place we now have the potential for a seismic shift in how we generate and eat energy.”
“A single dwelling putting in photo voltaic panels is a win, however a largescale business or industrial outlet outfitting its complete facility with rooftop photo voltaic is transformative. Companies, significantly energy-intensive ones, eat considerably extra electrical energy than residential properties. Their adoption of photo voltaic not solely reduces demand on the grid but additionally decreases reliance on fossil fuels and strengthens the UK’s renewable vitality infrastructure.”
Regardless of the advantages, a latest evaluation reveals that lower than 10% of the UK’s non-domestic buildings at present utilise their out there rooftop area for photo voltaic vitality.2 By harnessing this untapped potential, business buildings might generate an estimated 117TWh of electrical energy yearly—sufficient to energy roughly 30 million properties, exceeding the overall variety of households within the UK. Financially, this might equate to financial savings of £35 billion, with lifetime financial savings reaching £703 billion.”
Jo provides: “The federal government has set an formidable goal to extend photo voltaic capability practically fivefold to 70GW by 2035 as a part of its broader technique to safe cleaner and extra inexpensive vitality. Whereas residential photo voltaic stays vital, unlocking the total potential of economic photo voltaic is crucial. That is the place probably the most profound and lasting influence shall be made, and it have to be prioritised accordingly.”
Notes
[1] https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/renewables-generated-50-8-of-the-uks-electricity-in-2024/
[2] https://powermarket.ai/buildings-could-save-35bn/#:~:textual content=Apercent20groundbreakingpercent20analysispercent20bypercent20PowerMarket,leavingpercent20apercent20vastpercent20untappedpercent20potential.