Good Energy sourcing third of electricity from solar

"I’m proud that Good Energy is leading the way in renewable energy and that it is proof that clean, green electricity produced in the UK from natural resources can provide resilience against price volatility caused by relying on energy imported from abroad," Juliet Davenport, Good Energy’s ceo, said. 

Good Energy, which supplies around 26,000 homes and businesses and works with around 3,000 independent generators, said it has done deals with over 30 new larger-scale solar generators since the introduction of the FiT in April 2010. The FiT guarantees an inflation-linked income for on-site renewable electricity projects under five megawatts (MW) in size for a period of up to 25 years. The attractive rates have led to hundreds of thousands of solar projects being installed on roof and land space across the UK in the last year and half. Good Energy said it is working with solar generators ranging from a holiday cottage complex in Cornwall to a factory rooftop in Yorkshire. 

However, following cuts to the FiT by the Government in July, subsidies for the biggest schemes have been slashed by more than 70 per cent. This has raised concerns in the solar industry that jobs and growth in the sector could be threatened.

Davenport said the fact that Good Energy customers were now bgetting a third of their electricity from sunlight was proof that solar PV was viable technology in the UK. "Solar has a valuable part to play in a balanced renewable energy portfolio, because the sun is often shining when the wind isn't blowing," she said. 

 
Good Energy said the surge in solar in its fuel mix means it will now annually be supplying roughly 54 per cent of renewable electricity from wind, 33 per cent from solar, eight per cent through biogeneration and six per cent from small-scale hydro.