UK solar power generation reached 8.7 GW (gigawatts) Friday. This is because the country experienced high sunshine levels of up to 28C (82.4F) and the 8.70 GW at lunchtime was 24.3% of the total amount of electricity generated across the UK. This beats the previous record of 8.48 GW set on May 10th.
According to a spokesperson for the British National Grid, this was “the beginning of a new era” with significant quantities of renewable energy on stream. That is because the UK has been investing in wind and solar power. Also, a new nuclear power station is on the cards. Of the UK’s total energy supply, 23% came from nuclear power and 30% from natural gas.
Add to that the 24.3% UK solar power from photovoltaic panels and that leaves just 22.7% from other sources. These other sources are mainly wind power, biomass and hydro power. Only 1.4% of Britain’s energy comes from coal. However, it should be stressed that Friday’s record was due to a clear and sunny day.
The UK is using increasing amounts of energy from natural sources in order to meet the EU targets and phase out coal-fired power stations. That said, the UK generated a full day of energy without using coal for the first time in around 135 years.
The UK government is hoping to eliminate coal for producing energy by 2025. All coal fired power stations are to be closed and replaced with predominantly solar, nuclear, wind, hydro and other sources of power. In 2016, only 9% of the UK’s energy was generated using coal compared with 23% the previous year.
President Trump, on the other hand, is determined to protect the USA’s coal industry. The US appears to be a long way behind the UK and Europe in economical energy production. The US is highly dependent on fossil fuels for its energy. That is despite the fact that many areas have the ideal climate for solar power and the geographical features needed for hydroelectricity.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, 14.9% of American electricity generated in 2016 was from renewable sources. Only 19.7% came from nuclear power stations. Coal was responsible for 30.4% and natural gas for 33.8%. America’s reluctance to move from fossil fuels is understandable. This is not viable as a long-term solution to US future power needs.
Almost 90% of new power in Europe in 2016 came from renewable sources. This was mostly from wind energy, much of it offshore. Europe is gradually replacing coal as an energy-creating fuel.
Pvt. Ltd.
