Solar sets new records

The UK’s solar output topped that of any other generation technology over the weekend as the UK’s heatwave continues the record-breaking trend of solar generation.

Data from the government and National Grid-backed Sheffield Solar PV_Live project showed that on Saturday 30 June at around lunchtime solar delivered ~9.38GW which, while just shy of a new generation record, was equivalent to almost 28% of supply. As the afternoon continued, solar is then thought to have topped gas output, which has only occurred a handful of times since the first reported instance in April 2017.

Heatwave helps solar power reach new weekly records

The recent heatwave has done more than just lift the country’s spirits, it has also helped the UK to break numerous solar power-generation records, the Guardian reports.

Director of system operations at the National Grid, Duncan Burt, said: “During the past 12 months alone, we have seen renewable generation records broken and we expect this trend to continue, as technology advances and we find new ways to accommodate and manage more wind and solar power on our network.”

Solar has, as of yet, only become the primary electricity source at weekends, when demand is generally lower, but it is still encouraging to see. Across the UK, solar panels on rooftops and in fields were the number one source for around an hour on the afternoon of Saturday 30 June.