14 Key Facts About Solar Energy From 2023

With more than 1 million UK homes now having installed solar panels, the Independent Advisor has researched and launched a new guide around the 14 key facts about solar panels and the solar industry in 2023, highlighting the main UK usage insights as well as answering the common questions about it.

As the UK aims to reach it’s net zero target by 2050, the solar panel sector will play a vital role in this including more people investing and installing solar in their homes. Solar panels are now one of the most sought after home improvements, with many UK homeowners using them to capitalise on the sunny weather to help beat rising energy bills.

From when the first one was invented to the continued yearly uptake in the UK, it’s safe to say that solar energy is continuing to make the future brighter.

Here’s the solar panel facts list in full with additional informational points:

1. 173,000 terawatts of solar energy reaches the Earth continuously – the most abundant energy source on Earth, more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use
2. The first solar panel was invented in 1883! – by American inventor Charles Fritts, who first installed a panel on a New York City roof in 1884
3. Solar boosted UK renewable energy production to 41.4 per cent in 2022 – up 1.8 per cent from the previous year
4. Solar energy isn’t just used to turn on the lights – solar thermal panels provide hot water
5. Over 111,500 solar PV systems were installed in UK homes last year alone – marking a 138 percent uplift
6. Solar panels are now the third most popular home improvement – after a new bathroom/kitchen, and new windows
7. No need for planning permission for solar panels – as long as they don’t protrude more than 200mm from the roof, and it’s not a listed/conserved property
8. The UK government aims to create 60,000 solar industry jobs by 2035 – increasing solar energy five-fold to a 70GW capacity
9. Global solar panel costs have dropped by 82 per cent in last decade – costing roughly £6,000 for a solar array on a UK three-bed house with the Government’s zero rate VAT
10. They increase property prices by 2 per cent averaging £1800 – and could lower bills by more than £300 a year
11. Solar panels still work when it’s cloudy! – generating around 10-25 per cent of their normal output
12. Recycling solar panels is relatively recent and still developing – the recoverable assets of effectively recycled panels could yield materials equivalent to 2 billion new panels by 2050
13. The UK is investing more in residential solar panels – the ECO4 grant scheme is helping homeowners save on solar panels
14. Solar panel production is being invested in globally – while China leads in solar panel production and usage, the Biden-Harris Administration has actually announced it will invest $82 million to increase domestic solar manufacturing and recycling

Lead writer and researcher Camille Dubuis-Welch states:

“As decarbonisation becomes an increasingly important matter on the global agenda, solar energy technology is finally being regarded with the prominence that it should have always had. Solar panels are one of the main options for green electricity generation and are a key way towards achieving global net-zero.

With the huge energy price increases the UK has experienced recently, it’s no surprise that the solar sector is seeing increases as large as 400 per cent. Clearly businesses and homeowners are looking for long-term, eco-friendly ways to lower their bills.”