Solar power in the UK produced more electricity than coal across the whole of May, the first ever month to pass the milestone, according to research by analysts at Carbon Brief. Solar panels generated 50% more electricity than the fossil fuel across the month, as days lengthened and coal use fell. Solar generated an estimated 1,336 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in May, compared to 893GWh output from coal. Coal was once the mainstay of the nation’s power system but the rapid rise of solar panels and of climate change concerns has seen its use plummet, leading to a series of milestones in recent weeks. Solar surpassed coal over a whole day for the first time on 9 April, while the electricity produced by coal fell to zero several times in early May, thought to be the first time this had happened since the late 19th century. Coal power stations are running less often due to age and restrictions on the pollution they produce and a series have closed down in recent months, including Ferrybridge and Eggborough in Yorkshire, Fiddlers Ferry plant in Cheshire and Longannet in Scotland.
Guardian 7th June 2016 read more »
Carbon Brief 7th June 2016 read more »
Scotland’s largest solar farm, which will provide power for more than 3,500 homes, is due to be officially opened. The 13MW scheme, which was constructed on 70 acres of land at Errol Estate in Perthshire and includes 55,000 solar panels, went live in May. Paul Wheelhouse, the Scottish government’s minister for business, innovation and energy, will formally launch the solar farm. Its construction began in January. It generates energy all year round. Errol Estate was one of the first locations in Scotland to be identified as a potential solar farm site, with the land being promoted for development by Thomas Macmillan of Savills in 2011.
BBC 7th June 2016 read more »
The National 8th June 2016 read more »
Scotsman 7th June 2016 read more »
SCOTTISH homes fitted with solar panels would have seen enough sunshine last month to meet their entire electricity consumption, according to environmentalists. WWF Scotland said wind turbines also produced enough energy to meet the electrical requirements of around three-quarters (76 per cent) of homes and over a third (36 per cent) of Scotland’s entire energy consumption in May. The charity has published the analysis to urge the Scottish Government to make greater use of renewables in its forthcoming energy strategy. WeatherEnergy compiled the WWF analysis, and said the solar energy data “clearly shows that there’s plenty of sunshine to meet a significant proportion of an average family’s electricity and hot water needs during some months of the year”.
The National 8th June 2016 read more »
Environmentalists have urged the Scottish Government to outline its plans to secure half the country’s energy from renewable sources. WWF Scotland made the call as it published analysis of solar and wind power data for May, a month of near-constant sunshine. It also came as the country’s biggest solar farm was opened at Errol, between Perth and Dundee. The data showed there was enough sunshine in May to generate 100% of the energy needed in a city home fitted with solar PV panels and almost enough to provide all the hot water needed in a home fitted with solar hot water panels. Wind turbines in Scotland provided 692,896MWh of electricity to the National Grid, enough to supply, on average, the electrical needs of 76% – 1.8 million – of Scottish households.
Dundee Courier 7th June 2016 read more »