ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have called for more Scottish homes and businesses to embrace solar power, after a new report showed that last month Scotland generated enough solar energy to power its homes.
According to the research by WWF Scotland, there was enough sun in April to generate 100 per cent of the electricity needs of an average home in Scotland.
There are currently over 35,000 homes and 600 business sites in the country with PV solar panels fitted, and WWF bosses have once again called for more people to turn to solar energy.
The figures showed that homes in Edinburgh and Aberdeen generated more than 110 per cent of their electricity needs through the panels, while homes in Glasgow and Inverness were both comfortably generated more than needed by the average household.
The report also said that the energy generated was enough to meet 99 per cent of a household’s hot water needs.
Wind turbines in Scotland also generated enough electricity to supply the electrical needs of 69 per cent of Scottish households – 1.66 million homes.
This latest report comes as plans to build Scotland’s largest solar farms were announced last week. The park, which will be built on a 50-acre site in Carmyllie near Arbroath, will have the potential to power around 6,670 homes, an area equivalent to the size of neighbouring Montrose.
WWF Scotland’s director Lang Banks praised the recent findings, saying there is no reason that Scotland cannot house “commercial-scale solar farms”.
Banks said: “For the tens of thousands of Scottish households that have already installed solar panels, there was enough sun to effectively meet all of their electricity or hot water needs, helping to reduce our reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
“With these sorts of figures, every home or business with a south-facing roof should seriously consider switching on to the full potential of solar power. Similarly, there is no reason why Scotland should not be home to commercial-scale solar farms. During the month, Scotland’s wind turbines generated enough output to supply the electricity needs of over 1.5million homes. So, as we approach the period of the year where winds are less powerful, it’s great to see the potential of solar to also contribute our energy needs,” he said.
Karen Robinson of WeatherEnergy, who helped WWF compile data for the study, said: “Scotland has long been leading the charge when it comes to wind power. Scotland also has potential for sun-loving renewables too.”
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