Government subsidy cuts continue to impact on solar panels in the UK as installations across the country halved in 2017 for the second year in a row, the Guardian reports.
New solar capacity in the UK fell to 0.65GW, down from 1.97GW in 2016 and 4.1GW in 2015.
Overall EU solar growth impacted
The numbers have even impacted overall EU solar growth, causing it to flatline despite record amounts of new solar being added across the globe. A report from SolarPowerEurope said: “Even though 21 of the 28 EU markets showed growth, this wasn’t enough to compensate for the British losses.”
While the UK is currently third in the EU for total installed solar, growth is anticipated to slow and lag behind other member states over the next four years.
According to predictions from the trade body, the UK will add just 2.1GW of solar by 2022. By comparison, Germany will add 20GW, France 11.7GW, and Spain 8.8GW.
Wind and solar could provide half of electricity by 2050
Meanwhile, a separate report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that wind and solar could provide half of global electricity generation by 2050 thanks to falling costs.
Commenting on the findings, chief executive of SolarPowerEurope, James Watson, said: “Solar power has been voted the most popular energy source in the UK, it is, therefore, sad to see the UK government not take advantage of the huge potential of solar.”
Labour said the figures show that government’s commitment to green energy is “nothing but an empty PR move”. Shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, added that government “policies on solar, including dramatic cuts to feed-in tariff subsidies, business and VAT rate hikes, and obstruction to clean power auctions have held back one of the cleanest, cheapest forms of energy.”
Despite the current low levels of solar deployment in the UK, many businesses are still choosing to generate their own clean, green electricity and many more remain seriously interested. It is true that the adverse communication and press coverage over the last few years about the Government’ miss-management of the Feed-in Tariff subsidy regime has affected the industry, but confidence in the technology and its predictable performance are just a couple of reasons behind recent client decisions to proceed with their solar PV installation.
Here at Zestec, we focus on supporting our clients over the long term. We provide organisations with the means of reducing their carbon footprint by generating their own electricity from solar energy, leading to immediate savings in their electricity bills. We also help clients refinance existing solar PV systems. releasing much-needed capital from their balance sheet..
If you’d like an exploratory chat to discuss your options and find out more about how we may be able to help with your solar projects, call our experienced team today. Contact us today