Time is fast approaching in the race to meet the UK Government’s Clean Power Action Plan deadline of 2030. Solar power is the 4^th largest generator of renewable energy in the UK. Therefore, in order to reach the goal of at least 95% national clean energy usage by 2030, advancing solar development in the UK is a national priority.

So, how is the UK faring and what new technologies and policies are planned to help the UK reach the 2030 Clean Power and 2050 Net Zero goals?

Clean Power Goal 2030

In order to meet the ambitious 2050 Net Zero goal, the UK Government has set equally aspirational targets of at least 95% clean energy by 2030. This is to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity and wider energy production, and to support the transition from traditional energy sources to renewable energy. Currently, 41% of electricity in the National Grid comes from renewable sources, which will need to more than double to reach the 95% target by 2030.

These Clean Power Goals have also set a target for a threefold increase in solar capacity to be operational by 2030, from a current level of 15 GW to 45GW. Achieving this aim will be challenging for the sector to reach by 2030. However, there are a number of government policies and emerging technologies that should help the UK solar industry accelerate development and capacity over the next few years.

Government policies

The UK’s solar development is being shaped by new government policies that aim to increase production and capacity to meet  the 2030 and 2050 targets. Here is a list of some of the latest policies and investments being made in the solar industry by the UK Government:

• Great British Energy, the Government’s new publicly-owned energy company, has invested £200 million to support the installation of rooftop solar panels on public sector buildings, such as in schools and NHS trusts.
• The Future Homes Standard will include a provision that all new builds by 2027 will have rooftop solar panels installed, with the amount of panels required to be equivalent to 40% of the building’s floor area.
• Planning policy changes considered to make it easier for solar farms to be installed, including in the Green Belt.

Solar panels are a key focus for the UK Government in tackling both Net Zero targets and rising energy prices, with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband announcing that the Future Homes Standard will be part of the clean energy strategy, stating that, “Solar panels can save people hundreds of pounds off their energy bills”. All three of these policies and investments will work to increase the UK’s solar development over the next few years.

New technologies

There are a number of UK solar developments in the sector that are driving innovation, some of the newest technological advancements include:

• Higher efficiency solar panels

Previously the sector has been limited by the efficiency levels of solar panels only being 22% at most. However, a recent breakthrough in technological advancements include the utilisation of a thin layer of crystals as a coating in order to increase a solar panel’s efficiency to 28%. This means that more energy can be generated from solar panels per day, making it a more reliable source of renewable energy. Furthermore, it will enable the solar industry to be able to scale up output significantly without needing to build more solar farms.

• Ultra-thin panels

Researchers have managed to develop flexible and lightweight solar panels that can bend and be placed in areas where traditional rigid panels cannot. This advancement works on uneven surfaces, allowing for it to be wearable or sit on top of items, such as vehicle roofs to power electric cars, tents to provide electricity in remote locations, and more.  As the technology improves and the price range reduces, this technology will offer greater options for consumers than is currently available on the market.

• AI

Like in many industries, AI is being used within UK solar development to increase efficiencies. AI tools can analyse real-time weather data to predict the energy output of a solar panel and manage the grid integration based on this information.

It can also detect issues or problems with individual solar panels and report them to technicians. This can help to improve efficiencies and reduce unnecessary checks. An AI tool can also be set up to provide real-time analytics reporting with clear graphs and other data visualisation tools.

Challenges in the UK solar development sector

Technological advancements are making significant strides in the sector, however, there are a number of issues that are affecting the UK’s solar development currently. Such problems include the following:

• Grid connection issues

The significant expansion of renewable energy sites, including solar panel farms created to meet clean energy targets, has caused problems for National Grid. National Grid is the UK’s main utility company responsible for the high-voltage electricity transmission network. Renewable energy sites must connect to this network to distribute clean energy to consumers across the UK.

These renewable energy sites have more than 700 GW  in capacity, however, connection to National Grid is being delayed due to a large backlog of sites needing to be connected. This backlog has meant that there are long delays and a reduced capability for the UK to rely on renewable energy sources for electricity.

• Limited energy storage

Due to the UK’s weather, solar is an unreliable energy source. Whilst solar farms can create a surplus of energy that can be used to provide energy to National Grid during times when there is no or limited sun, without proper energy and battery storage, this will not be possible. The impracticalities and drawbacks to using solar panels will not be improved without significant investment in battery storage. As the solar industry needs to be scaled up to meet the clean energy targets and demands, this will need to be addressed.

• Land expansion

Despite the recent developments in UK solar energy technology mentioned earlier in this article, there still needs to be a marked increase in land bought for solar farms. Currently, solar panels cover 0.1% of land in the UK and in order to meet clean energy targets, this will need to increase to 0.3%. Inevitably this will cause issues and delays due to land needing to be bought and planning permissions granted. Both of which might reduce the UK’s ability to ramp up their solar capabilities at pace in the future.

• Skills gap

The acute skills gap within the solar industry is posing challenges for the UK’s ability to develop their renewable energy capabilities. Around 60,000 new professionals are needed in the solar industry to meet demand by 2035, including 6,000 additional engineers per year until then. The sectors inability to get solar recruitment right and to hire effectively will have a significant knock-on effect on projects and could both stunt the industry and delay clean energy targets.

Overall, there are some very exciting UK solar developments that are increasing efficiencies and driving innovation within the sector. There may be a number of challenges that the solar industry is currently facing, however, meeting clean energy goals is still within our grasp.

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