More solar capacity was added to the UK generation mix in the first three months of 2024 than all other renewables combined, according to the latest quarterly report from the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
DESNZ’s quarterly energy report reveals that solar accounted for 60% of newly installed renewables capacity in the first quarter of 2024. To the end of June 2024, provisional data from DESNZ record solar capacity of 16.9 GW across 1,595,916 installations.
Solar capacity at the end of June 2024 was 1.3 GW higher than at the end of June 2023. At the halfway point of 2024, 647 MW of newly installed capacity was recorded, compared to 577 MW for the same period in 2023. In quarterly terms, DESNZ has recorded 201 MW of new solar capacity in Q2 2024 compared to 309 MW in Q2 2023, although these figures are likely to be revised as further data on newly operational sites are received.
Francesca Cullaney, power and flexibility analyst at industry the REA, told pv magazine the trade association welcomes the latest government figures on solar deployment, “which continues on a positive trajectory.”
Cullaney did note that the bulk of installations continues to be domestic, suggesting “strong public engagement and investment in sustainable energy.” Around 88% of solar installations in the United Kingdom are domestic but they only account for 30% of the total capacity, according to DESNZ statistics.
“To complement this growth, the REA urges government to also drive greater uptake in the commercial sector, leveraging the enormous potential of commercial and industrial rooftops across the country,” said Cullaney.
Capacity is growing, but DESNZ’s quarterly energy report did record a break between new solar installations and their contribution to the generation mix. Solar capacity in the first quarter of 2024 was 5.9% higher than the same period in 2023. However, generation from solar increased by just 2.7% over the same period, to a total of 1.9 TWh in the first quarter of 2024. This was in part due to fewer sunlight hours in early 2024 compared to Q1 2023, according to DESNZ.
In total, renewable electricity generation accounted for more than half of the UK generation mix for the first quarter of 2024. Generation from renewables for the first three months of 2024 totaled 39.2 TWh, 3.7% higher than the Q1 in 2023. The increase was largely driven by onshore wind, which saw a 7.4% rise in generation due to higher wind speeds.
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