Solar Energy UK has published a manifesto stating that 50 GW of solar energy is needed by 2030, with 30 GW of carbon-free energy storage. In its first hundred days, it calls on the next government to publish a roadmap to achieve this.
By the end of this year, Britain will have around 20 GW of solar power generation capacity, with 8 GW of energy storage. Solar Energy UK’s targets would increase this capacity in line with the current government’s target of 70GW of solar power by 2035.
The manifesto sets out five actions the government’s solar and energy storage industries need: embracing UK solar, bringing the benefits of solar and storage into the home, boosting the grid for net zero, building skills for UK green jobs and implementing a renewable energy first strategy. approach to market reforms.
According to Solar Energy UK, the barriers to fully embracing solar energy are the inconsistent planning system and the symbiotic relationship between energy security, food security and nature’s restoration that is overlooked. “We don’t have to choose one over the other, and solar energy can play a key role in all these projects,” the manifesto said.
It is also critical that the next government makes consistent planning decisions. On this topic, Solar Energy UK stated that failure to respect established national policy has canceled out solar planning refusals more than any other form of development.
This in turn has had a negative impact on investment and needlessly increased the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels.
Enjoy the benefits of solar energy and storage
A key mission of Solar Energy UK’s manifesto is to bring the benefits of both solar and storage to the country. The organization points to the popularity of rooftop solar, which recently surpassed 1.5 million small-scale installations.
Despite this growing popularity, the manifesto outlines that government still has a role to play in ensuring that solar energy and storage technologies are available to low-income households and communities looking to invest in their own projects in schools and other public buildings.
Utility-scale developments in solar and battery storage also present opportunities that government could support with the right market signals, particularly by creating a national target for the technology. Exclusively spoken against Solar energy portalChris Hewett, CEO of Solar Energy UK, highlighted the need to set an energy storage target to enable new renewable energy generation technologies.
Hewett said: “There needs to be a target for energy storage for two reasons: firstly so that the industry can see for itself where the direction is going so it’s not left to guesswork, but also when regulators talk about flexibility in the market they not that. often do not distinguish between high carbon flexibility or the use of batteries. We know that flexibility must be delivered through 100% carbon-free technology.”
Turbocharge the network
The next aspect of the manifesto focuses on “turbocharging the network” for net zero. This area focuses specifically on grid connectionsan aspect of the energy system that currently threatens net-zero prospects.
On this issue, Solar Energy UK is calling on the next government to ensure Ofgem enables greater and faster investment in the electricity grid, improves operator service and modernizes network management.
Building skills for green jobs
The manifesto is also about green jobs. To reach net zero, the government must provide opportunities for the UK workforce to switch to sustainable energy and provide the necessary maintenance in a net zero area in Britain.
The manifesto outlines that the next government must work with industry to promote career opportunities, with a network of green skills hubs offering training in regions where we know the deployment of renewables will be extensive.
Government support is also needed to expand domestic production of solar-related technologies, such as switchgear, cabling, batteries and mounting systems.
Chris Hewett discussed the importance of developing green jobs for the industry Solar energy portal: “No one in the industry is saying there are opportunities for PV module production in Britain. That’s not a sensible way to look at the supply chain. You want to explore battery production, assembly and possibly even inverters in the medium term.
“There is also potential for future technologies such as flexible solar energy and thin film. Innovators in the UK are developing these products, so we want to support them as much as possible.”
A market reform in renewable energy
The manifesto also addresses the need for Britain to remain competitive with other markets such as the EU, US, China, India and others. To ensure this, Solar Energy UK says the next government must ensure that solar energy and energy storage are on a level playing field with other energy technologies and other countries.
A key area in increasing solar capacity is the Contracts for Difference (CfD) program, which has proven successful for the solar industry in recent years.
Solar Energy UK says more than 11 GW of solar capacity has been approved and is awaiting construction. However, the current budget for allocation round 6 of the CfD scheme will facilitate development of less than 2 GW, putting the targets at risk.
Hewett said Solar energy portal that this is one of the key areas that need to be addressed to support solar energy.
“We are trying to remove barriers to private sector investment as much as possible. The first step is the sixth round of the CfD auction. There is a limited budget, and we know that there are a lot of projects that are eligible to bid on it; “If it looks like there are more projects than they can handle, then an early ministerial position on increasing that budget is something that is in the gift of a new minister,” Hewett said.
Another area that the next government will need to address carefully is the Review of Market Arrangements (REMA), which will introduce a number of changes to the energy market to ensure its functionality in the changing landscape.
Solar indicates that the next government must ensure that the electricity generator levy, capacity market, balancing mechanisms and REMA attract investment in clean energy with storage and flexibility as a back-up.
Speaking about REMA, Hewett said: “If you look at the way the energy market is governed through regulation, whether it’s the way CfDs are structured or the way REMA is moving forward, whether it’s the capacity market and the balancing mechanisms or even the generator tax, all those different economic and regulatory interventions will shape the market. I think a new government should look at them and ask how we can ensure a level playing field.”
For REMA, Solar Energy UK is urging caution around location prices, which could actually deter investment. “We know there is a lot of private capital around the world right now looking for ways to invest in solar and storage,” Hewett said.
“If changes to our regulatory system are going to create more barriers to that capital getting into the UK renewables market, then that is something we are calling on the government not to do.”
