Wind and solar send renewable generation to new record

Sunday 5 April saw electricity prices drop below -£66 as strong wind and solar generation came on the grid.

This surge in renewable generation worked with low demand, following the closure of factories and workplaces due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last few weeks this has seen the UK’s demand pattern change, with demand falling by 13 per cent as of last Wednesday, according to Cornwall Insight.

At 3.48pm on Sunday, renewables accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the country's electricity demand, a new record according to Drax Electric Insights. This beats the previous 68 per cent set on 17 August 2019. 

A large part of the generation over the weekend was created by wind power, which has driven negative pricing in the past. Predominantly it has been seen during storms such as Storm Ciara in February, which saw wind generate 56 per cent of the nation’s power.

While wind generation was strong over the weekend, providing almost 50 per cent of demand, it was also partnered with strong solar generation too, meeting almost 23 per cent of the UK's demand.