The UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Emissions (DESNZ) published cumulative photovoltaic capacity data to July at the end of August 2023, showing that 15,292.8 MW of photovoltaic systems have been installed in the UK. Between January and July 2023, 634.8 MW of new PV systems were installed in the UK, up from 315.5 MW in the same period in 2022.
However, despite the addition of approximately 71.3 MW of PV systems in July, this figure remains provisional and is expected to be revised as more data from newly operational plants is received. Compared with the 46.4 MW added in July 2022 and the 84 MW added in June 2023, the new capacity in July is relatively low.
Gareth Simkins, spokesman for the British Solar Industry Association, told pv magazine that the figures were "relatively low" but he suspected it was just a temporary deviation. He also noted that government statistics are not very reliable.
Chris Hewett, chief executive of the British Solar Industry Association, explained that there is a "lag" in the government's statistics on the operation of utility-scale PV plants, and there is a lack of reliable data to quantify commercial rooftop PV power generation. He said commercial rooftop PV capacity was on par with government statistics from past years, but the actual capacity was much higher.
Despite this, Hewett believes the UK solar PV market continues to grow, particularly in the commercial rooftop solar and domestic small solar system markets. Simkins estimates that the July figure should be 16 GW and predicts that "strong growth" in the PV industry will be reflected in the figures for the next few years.
In order to achieve the British government's goal of installing 70 GW of photovoltaic systems by 2035, the UK established a photovoltaic task force co-led by Hewett in March 2023. The task force aims to accelerate the development of the photovoltaic market and plans to achieve its goals by increasing rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems, securing investment and increasing the skilled workforce in the photovoltaic industry.
However, the UK solar PV industry faces grid connection and investment challenges. Hewett said some regulations from the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) were driving down investment levels, which were seen as increasingly being borne by consumers. At the same time, solar and wind power are clearly the cheapest power generation technologies on the market today, so the sooner they can be brought to market, the faster they can reduce electricity prices.
In addition, the photovoltaic industry also faces the problem of developing skilled labor. Hewett said this meant ensuring installers and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies could recruit sufficient numbers of qualified workers to meet market demand. He also noted that other issues include improving the reliability of the supply chain and building internal capabilities (such as manufacturing and selling kits of batteries), as well as removing the "important details" related to rooftop solar more broadly.
It is worth noting that the British Solar Energy Industry Association found that many household photovoltaic systems are equipped with battery energy storage systems, "so at least 50% of photovoltaic systems are now equipped with battery energy storage systems. This is a major feature of the British photovoltaic market." According to data published on the UK government website, more than 1 million British homes have installed rooftop solar panels, but since rooftop solar can be installed on commercial buildings, schools, warehouses, car parks and water bodies, there are still many more to come. development potential".
There are also a number of large utility-scale solar PV projects underway in the UK, including the 350MW Cleve Hill Solar Park on the north coast of Kent, which is due to be completed in 2024, as well as a planned Oxford site that has yet to submit planning permission. County's 840-MW Botley West solar farm.