Our 2021 roundup – the biggest solar stories of the year

So, it’s the end of another year. And that means, of course, another perfect opportunity to look back over the year’s main moments in the world of solar energy. From the new climate announcements, to Net Zero targets and societal progression with renewables in the face of our continuing energy crisis – we’ve collated the key stories and recapped how those with commercial solar panels or solar panels on their homes also had a particularly positive year. In case you missed them – here are the biggest stories of 2021.

April 2021 – More government support for renewables

When Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his Budget back in April, one of the big pledges involved a supposed £15bn being set aside for ‘supporting green objectives’. While the wider details around where exactly this money would go were a little vague, it was believed that this would be earmarked for further development of wind and solar energy farms around the UK.

Should this turn out to be the case, it would mean firms and households with solar panels will essentially be one step ahead in the shift towards the use of these cleaner energy sources.

In addition, Mr Sunak’s Budget also explained how certain ‘tax relief’ opportunities would be made available on some commercial technologies. Again, this wasn’t explicitly about solar panels, but if that does turn out to be the case, it would be another cost-saving benefit for those who have them.

May 2021 – Solar forecasted to be the world’s ‘most economic’ generation source

Only a month later another story broke that a new report from Carbon Tracker had claimed that within the next 10 years solar would be the world’s ‘most economic’ generation source. To put this in simple terms, the report is essentially saying that solar has the potential to be the most affordable and practical means of producing green energy.

At the same time, however, the same story did explain that a ‘shift in attitude’ was still needed politically to convince nations around the world to ramp up solar production. But, it’s also clear that more and more people are seeing the benefits of this energy source, not just those who already have and use solar panels.

August 2021 – Achieving Net Zero will depend heavily on solar energy

2021 as a whole has seen a big push on the government’s ‘Net Zero’ objectives, but in terms of energy generation, solar was shown to be something that will be a key part of our efforts to achieve these green goals.

When it comes to the phasing out of fossil fuels and/or inefficient energy technologies, solar and also wind are by far and away the most productive and cost-efficient forms of power generation to take their place. Moreover, this would be something especially relevant for businesses with large-scale premises and areas in which panels could be installed.

This is something many of our existing clients have already benefitted from following their installation of commercial solar panels.

September 2021 – Solar panels prove to be invaluable ahead of rising energy costs

As we headed towards autumn, the beginnings of our current energy crisis were starting to materialise with gas prices jumping as countries began ramping up their energy use following the loosening of lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions. Many forecasters then accurately predicted the unfortunate circumstances we now find ourselves in, but at the same time highlighted how those with solar panels wouldn’t be so harshly affected by the crisis.

This stemmed – and still does stem – from the fact that the solar energy harnessed by those using the technology isn’t affected by the major wholesale price fluctuations. While at the same time, they also offer better energy security and reduced dependance on affected fossil fuels.

A reminder of the importance of solar

All of the above certainly do a lot to emphasise the importance of solar panels and harnessing solar energy – not just now but in the future as well. So, if you have concerns about the continuing energy crisis, you want to improve your business’s green credentials or you want to save on the increasing cost of electricity, we can help.

Here at Low Carbon Energy, we can design and fit solar panels that are bespoke to your business and your operations – ultimately helping you achieve objectives like those we’ve listed above. We work with a number of sectors and we’re an official Carbon Trust Partner, so you can count on our expertise to get the right solar panels for your company. Call us on 01282 421 489 to talk to our team today, or browse our energy technologies page to learn more.