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I assume that's for already built solar PV, though it still seems extremely low to me so I'm curious where you are seeing this. For reference on new build, at

I assume that's for already built solar PV, though it still seems extremely low to me so I'm curious where you are seeing this. For reference on new build, at the UK government's most recently completed CfD auction (which happened in September), the solar PV bids accepted were at £47/MWh, CPI indexed and specified in 2012 prices: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-difference-cfd-allocation-round-5-results/contracts-for-difference-cfd-allocation-round-5-results-accessible-webpage https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/contracts-for-dif...

Retric 3y ago
Not bad considering the UK is a dark rainy hellhole for solar. NYC is 40.7’ North, Toronto Canada is North 43.7’, London is 51.5’ North and that’s the southern part of the UK. Edit: To be clear I don’t think battery backed solar is a good fit for the UK today, I’m just surprised how close it is.
- deleted 3y ago
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- tomatocracy 3y ago
  Yes, though the fact that it's 2012 prices and indexed to CPI does a lot - that's roughly £65/MWh in current prices. And despite all that it's still cheaper than offshore wind. You can also look at Spain - the CfDs aren't really comparable since the way CfDs are used there is different but LCOE is probably in the 40s-50s EUR/MWh for new build solar PV. But there are now meaningful curtailment issues in some places due to grid capacity there so developers will probably be working to higher numbers.
  - Retric 3y ago
    Yea, UK solar is still offsetting natural gas so it’s viable. One issue for significantly higher UK solar production is they use more electricity in the winter. January 2023 was 26 TWh where July 2022 was only 20 TWh which is the opposite of solar’s peaks. https://www.nationalgrideso.com/electricity-explained/electricity-and-me/great-britains-monthly-electricity-stats https://www.nationalgrideso.com/electricity-explained/electr... (Older reports on bottom) They can import from France, but France also has higher demand in the winter: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107089/electricity-consumption-france/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107089/electricity-cons... It’s only when you’re far enough south to see significant summer AC demand that it flips.
    - tomatocracy 3y ago
      Yes, and this is when the vast majority of homes are still heated using gas central heating. If we switch away from that to heat pumps+resistive heating in anything like meaningful amounts, this difference will get much more pronounced.

Retric 3y ago

Not bad considering the UK is a dark rainy hellhole for solar. NYC is 40.7’ North, Toronto Canada is North 43.7’, London is 51.5’ North and that’s the southern part of the UK. Edit: To be clear I don’t think battery backed solar is a good fit for the UK today, I’m just surprised how close it is.

deleted 3y ago
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tomatocracy 3y ago
Yes, though the fact that it's 2012 prices and indexed to CPI does a lot - that's roughly £65/MWh in current prices. And despite all that it's still cheaper than offshore wind. You can also look at Spain - the CfDs aren't really comparable since the way CfDs are used there is different but LCOE is probably in the 40s-50s EUR/MWh for new build solar PV. But there are now meaningful curtailment issues in some places due to grid capacity there so developers will probably be working to higher numbers.
- Retric 3y ago
  Yea, UK solar is still offsetting natural gas so it’s viable. One issue for significantly higher UK solar production is they use more electricity in the winter. January 2023 was 26 TWh where July 2022 was only 20 TWh which is the opposite of solar’s peaks. https://www.nationalgrideso.com/electricity-explained/electricity-and-me/great-britains-monthly-electricity-stats https://www.nationalgrideso.com/electricity-explained/electr... (Older reports on bottom) They can import from France, but France also has higher demand in the winter: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107089/electricity-consumption-france/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107089/electricity-cons... It’s only when you’re far enough south to see significant summer AC demand that it flips.
  - tomatocracy 3y ago
    Yes, and this is when the vast majority of homes are still heated using gas central heating. If we switch away from that to heat pumps+resistive heating in anything like meaningful amounts, this difference will get much more pronounced.