POLITICIANS are being urged to implement a new energy strategy that takes Scotland to the “next level” in the use of renewables, as new figures showed the output from wind power has increased by 15 per cent on the same period last year.

The call from environmental group WWF Scotland came in an analysis of wind and solar data from information group WeatherEnergy, which also showed that in April for homes fitted with solar panels, sunshine provided at least 70 per cent of an average household’s electricity or hot water needs.

It said wind turbines in Scotland provided 699,684 Megawatts per hour (Mwh) of electricity to the National Grid – enough to supply the average electrical needs of 79 per cent of Scottish households (1.9 million homes) – 15 per cent up on April 2015. Wind turbines generated enough electricity to supply more than 100 per cent of Scottish homes on eight out of the 30 days of April.

For those with solar PV panels, there was enough sunshine to generate an estimated 95 per cent of the electricity needs of an average household in Dundee, 87 per cent in Edinburgh, 86 per cent in Aberdeen, 84 per cent in Glasgow, and 83 per cent in Inverness.

And homes with solar hot water panels saw enough sunshine to generate 82 per cent of hot water needs in Inverness, 80 per cent in Dundee, 78 per cent in Aberdeen, 76 per cent in Glasgow and 74 per cent in Edinburgh. WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: “If we’re to move to the next level in the global shift to a zero-carbon society then the next Scottish Government must bring forward an energy strategy that ensures Scotland is the first EU nation to have a completely renewable electricity generation system by 2030.”

Karen Robinson of WeatherEnergy added: “It won’t be long now before the average home with panels will be able to meet all its electricity or hot water needs for the month from the sun.”