Energy experts favour photovoltaics

Experts from Imperial College London have called on the UK government to prioritise solar power over nuclear energy.

Writing in Nature Materials, the researchers argue that photovoltaics could be producing as much or more power than the nuclear industry’s current output before a new reactor could be commissioned.

The UK currently generates 12 gigawatts of electricity from nuclear power stations, around one sixth of the country's total electricity output. This is the same amount of electricity that it is predicted Germany will generate through photovoltaics by 2012 if it continues to expand its solar energy programme at its present rate.

The UK, which has a similar sunshine profile to Germany, could produce 12 gigawatts of solar electricity by 2023 if production is expanded by 40% per year, less than the world increase of 57% in 2004.

However, in contrast to other developed countries, the UK has recently halted its programme of solar panel installation on 3,500 rooftops halfway through. This compares to the completed installation of 70,000 installations in Japan and 100,000 in Germany.