Just take a look at the climate statistics. Cornwall is officially the sunniest part of the UK – so when it comes to solar power, we’ve got a natural advantage. A solar collector inclined at 30 degrees facing due south can generate up to 1300kWh/m2 in Cornwall, compared to only 900kWh/m2 in Scotland.
With 23% of Cornish homes without access to mains gas – the highest proportion in the UK – that provides clear opportunities to build the domestic market, particularly with UK government incentives, such as the Feed In Tariff, available to support photovoltaic installations at home.
But there’s more to Cornwall’s solar revolution. The local authority has set out a clear plan to build the UK’s first solar park as part of its Green Cornwall programme. In doing so, it also aims to develop a local supply chain for the construction, assembly and maintenance of the site – a 5MW PV park outside Newquay.
It plans to take advantage of the emerging technologies already being tested by the Combined Universities of Cornwall, University of Bristol and University of Bath and the Centre for Energy and Environment - which is based at the University of Exeter.
Related Links
Download our Feed In Tariff fact sheet
Cornwall Solar Directory provides both local and international PV solar park developers the necessary contact and service information available from the local supply chain within the county.