The Department of Energy and Climate Change’s latest public attitudes tracker results show that solar remains the most popular form of renewable energy generation amongst the British public.
Of those surveyed, 85% expressed their support for solar in the UK – up from 82% last quarter. Wind and tidal technologies were supported by 77% of those surveyed, with offshore wind and biomass just behind at 68% and 64% respectively.
The survey also found that support amongst the public for renewable energy sources to provide the UK’s energy rose to 82% – up from 79% last quarter. DECC’s public attitude tracker survey funs four times a year and is made up of one, in-depth annual survey and three shorter, quarterly surveys. The latest survey is based on face-to-face in-home interviews with 2,051 households across the UK.
Despite solar’s unparalleled level of support from the public, energy and climate change minister Greg Barker has warned the industry that it must work hard to maintain its popularity. Addressing delegates at the Large Scale Solar Conference in Truro, Cornwall, the minister said: “As we take solar to the next level, we must be thoughtful, sensitive to public opinion, and mindful of the wider environmental and visual impacts. But if we are smart, and there are plenty of smart people in this sector, there is no reason we can’t do that successfully.”