Use of solar power is predicted to increase to 4 per cent of total UK energy by the end of the decade, but the industry is concerned about the withdrawal of subsidies for large installations. What measures could best help solar compete with other energy sources?
Of the 532 respondents to last week’s poll, the largest proportion, 33 per cent, declined to pick an option. Of those that did pick, 30 per cent thought that encouraging domestic- or district-scale solar was the best way to help make solar power more competitive with other electricity sources. The next group, 20 per cent, thought that developiong a domestic PV panel making sector based on novel technology would be most effective, while 8 per cent thought a southern European ring main allowing the sunnier countries to export electricity to the dull north more easily would help bring solar prices down; a related scheme, to use concentrating solar power to generate in North Africa and distribute this to Europe attracted 5 per cent. Just 4 per cent supported rstoring subsidy to large-scale solar.