At SolarLinker, we specialise in connecting prospective solar customers with reputable photovoltaic (PV) installers.  And one of the most common criticisms we hear about solar energy is that the technology isn’t powerful enough.

Maybe it will be one day.  Scientists around the globe are working furiously to improve panel efficiencies.  But the current technology just isn’t up to the task.

This is a common solar power myth.  And it may be what’s been preventing you from installing PV panels on your own property.

But nothing could be further from the truth. 

Solar is the most abundant energy source on the planet.  According to National Geographic, enough sunshine hits Earth every hour to power the world’s electricity needs for an entire year.  There’s so much potential that the International Energy Agency predicts solar will become the world’s #1 energy source by 2050 – eclipsing oil, gas, and coal.

However, these examples are only conceptual proof of solar’s incredible power. 

Let’s look at some actual numbers.

Solar Power Generation in the United Kingdom

The UK currently has more than 5 GW of installed solar capacity, which is nearly double what we had 12 months prior. 

5 GW is enough clean energy to power 1.5 million homes.  And only 5 other nations in history have reached this critical milestone – Germany, China, Japan, Italy, and the United States. 

  • With the exception of Italy, all of these other countries have populations larger than ours.
  • And without exception, all of them receive more direct year-round sunshine.

We even have more solar capacity than Spain – a country that receives nearly 50% more sunlight than we do.  This just illustrates how powerful solar energy truly is.  Even in a nation infamous for overcast skies, our solar potential is staggering.

Are You Still on the Fence about Solar Energy in the UK?

If you still have doubts, you could always ask one of the 500,000+ UK homeowners who have already installed solar panels on their properties (125,000 of whom did so in 2014 alone).  Many of them had their own misgivings at first.  But today, they enjoy massive utility bill savings and smaller carbon footprints because they invested in clean sunshine.

You could also ask any of the countless businesses that collectively installed 700 MW of solar.  This is enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 200,000+ homes.

But the most telling insights come from National Grid. 

The utility provider admits that, because of solar energy, this summer will see the lowest-ever peak demand in grid electricity.  But National Grid is also worried that too much additional solar capacity could place unprecedented strain on the country’s electricity network.

In other words – we’re in danger of harnessing more sunshine than the power grid can handle.

If the nation’s largest utility provider is worried about solar energy, that should tell you something.

And you know what?  Utility companies should be worried.  The ability to generate your own cheap electricity is a significant threat to their monopolistic business models.

They don’t own the sun.  This clean energy source belongs to all of us.

To grab your slice of the solar pie, request a free quote today.