EDITOR’S OPINION: Some light in the darkness
1 April 2025
With the leader of the Western World on a one-man mission to wreck the global economy, and the Labour government seemingly determined to deliver a regular dosage of gloom, there has been precious little to be cheerful about in recent weeks. Good news has been in short supply, but at least some early spring sunshine has helped to raise the spirits and also enable the country to achieve record numbers of solar generation.
The Met Office has confirmed that March 2025 was the sunniest since records began, with 185.8 hours of sunshine. And on 1st April, between 12:30 and 13:00, Great Britain secured a new maximum solar generation record of 12.2GW – the equivalent of more than 250,000 LED light bulbs. According to the latest report from Solar Energy UK, the UK now has 20GW of solar panels installed, while the Microgeneration Certification Scheme recorded 200,010 home solar PV installations and 22,667 home battery storage systems in the year ending January 2025.
A further boost to the solar industry has been provided by news of a £200m investment from the UK government and GB Energy which looks set to fund the installation of solar panels on hundreds of schools and NHS sites (see page 6). Using public buildings to boost the country’s solar capacity offers an effective way to reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions, while ultimately saving money that could be used to improve public services.
It’s a move that is good for the environment and should help to ensure that NHS and educational budgets are less vulnerable to the uncertainties of an ever volatile energy market. As well as transforming school rooftops, it also provides an opportunity to educate youngsters about the benefits of renewable technology and could help to encourage future generations to consider similar investments in their own homes and communities.
The government says that schools will primarily be selected in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, while further education colleges in these areas will be asked to work with the appointed contractors to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. It is hoped that workshops, bootcamps and work placements will help to raise skill levels and generate jobs in the renewables sector.
Of course, all sounds good on paper, and the true potential of this initiative will only be realised when plans are put into practice. Government departments have been tasked with tightening their belts and
there are bound to be some who would argue that £200m could be better spent on other priorities such as defence and NHS care, but at a time of relentless stories about crashing stock markets and ongoing conflicts, it’s good to be reminded that the power of the sun can still produce some positivity.
• Chris Jones, managing editor
