Load factor of electricity from solar PV in the United Kingdom (UK) 2010 to 2022
Capacity and generation
In 2019, solar PV accounted for 28.3 percent of the total renewable capacity. However, its share of renewable electricity generation was just 10.7 percent. This was due to the relatively low load factor. In 2010, electricity generated by solar PV amounted to 41 gigawatt-hours. By 2021 this had increased to more than 12,100 gigawatt-hours.
Turnover and employment drop
In 2020 the UK’s solar PV industry reported a turnover of 1.4 billion euros. This was an increase of almost 200 million euros compared to the previous year. As turnover decreased, so did employment figures. In 2020 there were approximately 5,500 employees in the sector. This number dropped by roughly half due to cuts to subsidies.