"UK Government must not let sun go down on solar PV" - Mick Bates AM (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

"UK Government must not let sun go down on solar PV" - Mick Bates AM

November 10, 2008 12:00 AM

Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment, Mick Bates AM, has signed up to an independent campaign to promote solar power in the UK and criticises the UK Government's dismissive approach to solar photovoltaics (PV) in the Renewable Energy Strategy consultation, despite government research which indicates that solar PV could contribute more energy than a Severn Barrage by 2020.

Commenting, Mick Bates AM:

"In a time when energy security is becoming increasingly important and we are committed to demanding targets here in Wales, the UK and at European level, it is shocking that the Government has been so dismissive of the role that solar PV can play in the UK renewables mix to 2020.

"Last year the UK installed less than 0.3% of the total solar PV installed in Germany. Yet under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme over 77% of completed community scale projects were solar PV, so this is clearly a proven and popular technology in the UK.

"There is huge potential for increasing our renewable energy capacity in the UK and the Government must not let the sun go down on solar PV, which has an important role to play. We already have production capacity here in Wales for PV and by increasing this capacity we will stimulate our local economies with green jobs and businesses that benefit our environment.

"It is vital that the UK Government wakes up to the potential that solar PV has to offer and with the help of feed-in-tariffs ups the demand for this technology, which can play such an important part in moving us forward towards a low carbon future."

End/Diwedd

Notes:

'Element Energy', a report published by DBERR on 15th September 2008, before the end of the Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation period, suggests that there is potential for over 18TWh per year from solar PV by 2020 or 7% of the UK's renewable energy target from the existing non domestic building sector alone.