Solar generates more energy than coal for 2nd month this year

For the second month this year in the UK, solar has generated more electricity across a month than coal.

Earlier this year, UK-based Carbon Brief revealed that solar power had set new records by generating more electricity during the month of May than coal.

Figures showed that solar power in the UK generated an estimated 1, 336 GWh of electricity whilst coal only generated 893 GWh.

This week, Carbon Brief has revealed that solar has once again beaten coal for the whole month of July, generating an estimated 1, 273 GWh of electricity versus the 778 GWh output from coal - an increase of almost two-thirds.

These figures are due to a combination of diminishing coal output, the impact of longer daylight hours, and the recent surge in solar installations.

In July, the UK Solar Trade Association (STA) revealed that the country’s solar industry broke a new record in June, generating 23.9 per cent of UK electricity demand.  They also estimate that with the recent increase in installations across the country, solar is able to power the equivalent of 3.8 million homes.

Paul Barwell, CEO of the Solar Trade Association, expressed his views on the success: “This is what the country and the world needs to decarbonise the energy sector at the lowest price to the consumer. The Government’s adoption of the fifth carbon budget is a good long-term signal in this regard.”