Solar power has grown hugely in popularity since the millennium and new research from SolarPower Europe suggest that it has helped renewable power generation overtake nuclear power for the first time ever.

The growth in solar power

According to the research, 2014 saw a record increase in the amount of solar power being produced worldwide, with around 40GW worth of generating capacity being added. This means the world can now produce a total 178GW of electricity from sunlight. This is 100 times more than in 2000.

In Europe, new solar power installations added 7GW of capacity giving a total of 89GW. This accounts for 3.5% of our total power needs, with 40% of this coming from power companies and 60% coming from rooftop installations.

UK leads the way

The UK has been one of the real stars of this story, with our national solar capacity almost doubling in 2014. We added 2.4GW worth of solar power generation to the grid giving us a total capacity of 5GW. This makes up 1.4% of our total power requirements and accounts for a third of the 7GW growth seen across Europe making us the biggest contributor to Europe’s increase in capacity.

Germany added the second most (1.9 GW) and France came third with (927 mw). However, Germany still leads the market with a massive 38GW of solar power generating capacity overall, which is equal to 7.1% of their electricity needs.

Pricing and Feed-in Tariffs

The growth of solar power has been largely down to two factors. Firstly, the price of the average photovoltaic installation has fallen by 75% in the last ten years. Secondly, many governments offer schemes known as Feed-in Tariffs to help offer a financial incentive for those considering solar panels.

Feed-in Tariffs work by offering homeowners payments for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves, as well as for any surplus that they export to the grid. These payments are guaranteed for 20 years after a system is installed and the level of payments is set at the rate being offered when the system begins generating power.

This rate of payment (which is calculated per kWh of energy generated) is reviewed every three months and has gone down over time (reflected the decrease in the cost of solar panels). This means the sooner you get photovoltaics installed, the more money you are likely to get back in the long term.

Metrotile are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of photovoltaic roof tiles which allow you to start generating your own solar power without compromising the appearance of your building. To find out more call Metrotile today on 01249 658 514 or use our contact form for a swift response.