One popular misconception about solar power in the UK is that our weather is not suitable. To put it simply, most people believe we don’t get enough sun. This is a myth. Though the UK weather is certainly unpredictable, it is possible to measure an overall level of sunniness and to predict just how much energy will hit a one square meter area that is facing the sun over the course of a year. This value is known as the insolation and it has been calculated, for example, that the south of England gets 1100-1200 kWH of irradiation each year, in comparison to Barcelona which might get 1700-1800. This seems a great deal higher, but it is not necessarily a great difference in terms of solar energy, because the level of sun does not always correspond to the amount of solar energy that you will be able to extract from a good Solar PV system. Many solar panels become less efficient at higher temperatures for example, which often means that on a cold but clear day in the UK you may well generate more energy than on a sunny and hot day in Spain.
Cloud cover is also an issue but there are many solar panels that are better at collecting diffuse light and turning it into energy than others, meaning that even clouds should not effect our ability to harness solar energy. All we need to do is buy the correct type of solar panels and keep investing in improvements to the technology.
If you’re interested in going solar, have a look at the articles on our site and read through some of our guides to UK solar panels. Then why not have a look in our directory to see if you can find a solar installer in your area.
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