The United Kingdom has been a pioneer in many fields, and the use of solar energy is no exception. Solar energy has been in use in the UK for centuries, and its history is an interesting one.
The earliest use of solar energy in the UK can be traced back to the 7th century, where people used magnifying glasses to concentrate sunlight onto kindling to start fires. In the 18th century, solar energy was used to heat water in homes and for industrial processes. However, it was not until the 19th century that solar energy was used to generate electricity.
The first solar power plant in the world was built in 1882 in Egypt, and it was not until the 1950s that solar cells were invented. The UK was quick to adopt this technology, and in 1954, the first solar cell was produced by Bell Laboratories in the US. The UK was among the first countries to install solar panels in homes, and in the 1970s, the UK government offered grants to homeowners to install solar panels.
In the 1980s, the UK government launched a major research and development program to promote the use of solar energy. This program led to the development of new technologies, such as thin-film photovoltaic cells, which are now commonly used in solar panels.
In the 1990s, the UK government introduced the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) scheme, which encouraged the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy. This scheme was later replaced by the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme in 2002, which required energy suppliers to source a percentage of their energy from renewable sources.
Today, solar energy is an important part of the UK’s energy mix. According to the UK government, solar energy currently accounts for around 4% of the country’s electricity generation. The UK has some of the best solar resources in Europe, with an average of 4 hours of sunlight per day. This makes it an ideal location for solar energy generation.
The UK’s solar industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with the number of solar installations increasing from around 100,000 in 2010 to over 1 million in 2020. This growth has been driven by falling costs of solar technology, government incentives, and increasing public awareness of the benefits of renewable energy.
In conclusion, solar energy has a long history in the UK, dating back to the 7th century. The UK has been at the forefront of solar technology development and adoption, with the first solar cell produced in 1954 and the first solar panels installed in homes in the 1970s. Today, solar energy is an important part of the UK’s energy mix, and its use is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.
Leave a Reply