Solar Energy History in the UK: A Deep Dive

Are you looking for an epic rundown of solar energy history in the UK? In this article, I’ll explore the very early days of photovoltaics and delve deeper into the UK’s relationship with solar energy.

Solar now accounts for 4.6 per cent of the world’s total energy generation. In the UK, solar accounts for an impressive 9.3 per cent of the country’s total energy mix. That’s a huge step up from the zero contribution it made prior to the discovery of the photovoltaic effect in 1839.

If you find that impressive, you might be interested in the journey solar energy has taken in the UK and how it came to be such a significant power source.

To fill you in, I’ve put together the ultimate rundown of solar energy’s history – how it started and how it grew into the impressive power source it is today.

From the birth of the photovoltaic cell to the rise of enormous solar farms, I’ll cover it all.

The Early Days: The First Solar Cell and the Photovoltaic Effect

1767: The very first solar cell

The world’s first solar cell was made in 1767 by the Swiss Scientist Horace-Benedict de Saussure.

It wasn’t exactly sophisticated and was essentially made from an insulated box with an opening and three layers of glass. The glass helped magnify the sun’s heat, which entered the box and was amplified to temperatures exceeding 110°C.

This invention, known as the “solar collector cell,” marked the beginning of solar energy experimentation.

1839: The Photovoltaic Effect is discovered

In 1839, Edmund Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect, a massive breakthrough in solar energy.

Before his experiment, the scientist hypothesised that shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution would create an electric current.

His theory was correct.

At just 19 years old, Becquerel created the first photovoltaic cell by coating platinum electrodes with silver chloride and bromine. When exposed to light, the platinum electrodes produced a voltage and current.

Although this was a huge breakthrough (with an impressive amount of research behind it), the cells simply weren’t efficient. So, during this period, photovoltaic power was mainly used to measure light instead of powering homes.

1883: The first functioning solar panel

While the birth of full-blown photovoltaics was yet to come, American inventor Charles Fritz made great headway in 1883 by creating the first functioning solar panel.

He made the panels from selenium wafers and affixed them to a New York City rooftop.

They technically worked, but their efficiency level was just 1 per cent. So, they were overlooked until the middle of the 20^th century.

1954: The birth of modern photovoltaics

1954 is really when solar energy started to gain traction, and this was when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller and Gerald Pearson created the modern photovoltaic cell At Bell Labs.

This cell used silicon, rather than selenium, and was the first to directly convert sunlight into electricity that could power electrical equipment.

Initially, Bell Telephone Laboratories managed to make solar cells with an efficiency of 4 per cent, which later increased to 11 per cent as technology improved.

1958: The Vanguard I Satellite

In 1958, the U.S. launched Vanguard I Satellite into space. They fitted the satellite with the first solar panels I mentioned earlier. There were six panels on the satellite, producing around 1 watt of power between them. Vanguard I was the first satellite powered by solar energy. This allowed it to transmit data for years back to Earth (instead of days under battery-powered alternatives).

After the success of the first satellite, other satellites such as Explorer III, Vanguard II and Sputnik-3 were launched with 5 cm solar panels.

Countries around the world still use solar energy to power satellites today, showing just how important these early discoveries were.

However, despite the success in space, the public remained sceptical about the potential of solar power during the 1950s and 1960s. So, while NASA scientists were super-positive about its use on a commercial scale, it simply didn’t take off at the time.

This happened much later when ARCO started producing commercial solar panels in its factories in 1986.

They made the world’s first commercial thin-film power module from amorphous silicon. This was so successful that they became the first company to produce more than a megawatt of photovoltaic modules in a year. These first solar cells exceeded 10 per cent efficiency, which was relatively decent considering the time.

A Rundown on Solar Energy History in the UK

Now that I’ve covered the general history of solar energy, let’s take a closer look at the UK’s journey with solar power.

The early days of solar energy history in the UK

In 2006, the UK had an installed photovoltaic capacity of around 12 MW, enough to power around 2,600 homes. While this was a good start, it was still a far cry from the 15 GW of solar capacity installed by 2023.

This significant boost was primarily driven by government initiatives like the Feed-in-Tariff scheme and the Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

So, let’s examine these subsidies in more detail.

The boom of solar under the Feed-in-Tariff scheme

Before 2010, solar installations in the UK were few and far between. However, everything changed when the government introduced subsidies (in the form of feed-in tariff (FIT)). Electricity consumers funded these payments, which incentivised the uptake of solar power.

As a result, the cost of photovoltaic panels fell, and the feed-in tariff rates for new installations also fell. This encouraged far more people to embrace solar until the scheme closed to new applications in 2019.

Between 2013 and 2015, a huge wave of private equity-backed developers emerged, eager to take advantage of this new scheme.

They canvassed local areas for potential sites and applied for planning permission across the board. Farmers near Grid connection points were particularly popular with these developers, and they received a lot of interest from companies wanting to set up solar projects on their land.

With farmland earning around £8,165 an acre in 2015 (and solar projects offering considerably more), the move towards renewables was a no-brainer for many landowners.

Everything slows down

Subsidy removal

The FIT scheme’s unfortunate dilution in 2016 caused a significant dip in new projects. Although there were still applications coming through to planning committees and the Grid, solar developers were less keen to enter the market. And as it was harder to secure favourable, long-term contracts, this was unsurprising.

The Government closed the FIT scheme to new applications in 2019. But they also phased out the Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme.

However, while the government promised a replacement for ROCs in the form of a Contracts for Differences scheme, only some people fully understood how the new system worked. 

Furthermore, the terms offered by the CfD scheme were generally less favourable than those of the previous schemes, further discouraging developers.

As large-scale solar projects became increasingly less viable, many developers transitioned to wind power or moved their searches abroad.

While UK solar wasn’t necessarily dead in the water, it was far trickier to build large-scale installations compared to the earlier boom years.

Grid backlog

Although removing subsidies was the main issue for new solar projects, the rise in applications for new installations before 2016 also led to a significant backlog for Grid connections.

Not only was connecting to the Grid expensive for developers, but the sheer volume of applications was tricky to manage. As time went on, it got increasingly difficult to find sites that were close to connection points.

As of 2024, the Grid connection backlog is projected to last up to 10–12 years. And while this hasn’t completely halted new applications, it’s making projects slightly less appealing to modern developers.

What Did These Issues Mean for Solar?

Removing the Feed-in-Tariff scheme and the Renewables Obligation Certificates had a significant impact on the profitability of solar. It was seen as quite a major landmark for the overall picture of solar energy history in the UK. When combined with Grid connection challenges, these issues slowed the uptake of solar compared to the rapid expansion seen earlier.

However, while solar projects became more expensive to invest in, solar funds started to pop up to buy existing projects. For example, Next Energy moved several solar farms into their portfolios. They also made an effort to acquire new-build projects and acquired nine assets totalling 416 MW in 2022 alone.

There is some positive news on the domestic front. In 2023, the number of households installing solar panels reached its highest level in over seven years. 2022 also saw a big increase in domestic installations, with over 130,000 added in the 10 kW or less range.

This would take the total number of these small-scale installations to 1,179,495. Total capacity as of February 2023 stood at 14,432 MW, with an average of 72 MW added each month over the previous six months.

What About Now?

While I’ve covered the main challenges facing solar energy, one key issue remains: planning permission.

The current guidelines are highly restrictive, meaning developers can find it tricky to build new solar farms.

However, it’s hoped that the Government will ease up planning permission regulations over time. However, it’s worth mentioning that solar guidelines are still less restrictive than wind). This might help more projects get off the ground, contributing to the government’s net-zero targets.

Solar energy could account for up to 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity generation by 2030. If we combine this with wind energy generation (29.4 per cent in 2023), we could be well on our way to hitting environmental targets by 2050.

So, there’s undoubtedly a bright future for solar.

If you’re interested in getting a solar project on your land, it would be great to talk. I know that navigating the solar energy landscape can be tricky. There’s plenty to consider, from dealing with developers to signing option agreements and long-term leases.

The team at Lumify Energy will happily lend a hand and talk you through each step of the process. We can even compare your site to others around the UK to ensure you’re making the income you should.

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