Bright future - the growth of the UK solar sector

In just two years, our solar power-generating capacity has gone from practically zero to around 2.5GW, and with the government targeting 20GW of photovoltaic (PV) generating capacity by 2020, this rapid growth shows little sign of slowing down.

So far, the dramatic explosion of solar has largely been driven by generous subsidies — a major bugbear for renewable-energy sceptics. But many believe the industry is approaching a point where it will soon be able to stand on its own feet.

Around 1.9GW of existing UK capacity is installed on the roofs of buildings — from domestic installations to larger-scale schemes such as the Blackfriars Bridge project (see picture). The rest, around 0.6GW, is in the form of ground-mounted installations, or solar farms, which are currently springing up with astonishing speed across the countryside.

Ray Noble, National solar centre

Activity is concentrated in the UK’s sunniest regions in the South West, where there are now more than 70 solar farms with a combined capacity of 290MW. According to sustainable-energy specialist Regen SW, these will generate around 250GWh of renewable electricity a year.