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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Paul Brown

Solar is now viable even in rainy climes – so why aren’t we making hay?

Workers installing solar electric panels on a residential property
Workers installing solar electric panels on a residential property. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Global Warming Images/Alamy

It may seem unlikely with the dark, rainy skies in many parts over the last month, but solar power is now the cheapest way of generating electricity, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In 30 years solar has gone from the most expensive and an unlikely candidate to help save us from the climate crisis to a frontrunner. Among its great advantages is that panels mostly take only a day to install, the electricity can also provide hot water and the surplus can be stored in a battery for later use. With no moving parts maintenance is minimal.

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