Official statistics released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that the UK’s 1.38GW of installed solar capacity generated 0.5TWh of electricity in the second quarter of 2012 – an astonishing 840 percent increase from last year when solar contributed just 0.05TWh in the same period.
The incredible figure reflects the dramatic impact the feed-in tariff has had on the solar PV market in the UK, driving a monumental surge in demand and building a market that currently consists of around 4,000 companies.
The energy statistics also show that renewables’ share of electricity generation grew from 9.0 to 9.6 percent. Offshore wind generation saw an increase of 47.7 percent from Q2 2011 to Q2 2012. In the same period onshore wind generation fell by 11.4 percent.
However, production of fossil fuels in the UK fell by 10.1 percent with both oil and natural gas production plummeting by 12.2 percent and 13.9 percent respectively.
Energy consumption in the UK increased by 5.1 percent, largely driven by a 32.8 percent increase in domestic energy consumption from last year, which saw much milder weather.
DECC has also revealed that electricity prices have continued to climb higher, with a 5.5 percent rise in real terms than the same period last year. Domestic users were forced to take the brunt of price rises as domestic gas prices increased by 13 percent.
The full Department of Energy and Climate Change statistical press release can be viewed here.