Sammy Wilson is a DUP member. tweeted. The UK had to turn on coal-fired generators because the sun is so strong that solar panels had to be taken offline during this heatwave. ".
This can't be.
Despite the fact that solar panels lose some of their efficiency in high temperatures, this loss is only marginal and was not the primary driver behind the operation of coal power plants.
When we spoke with Mr. Wilson, he confirmed that the article he had read had described a "severe" drop in output, not the need to shut down the panels.
Every degree above 25C in temperature causes a 0.34 percentage point decrease in solar panel performance, according to Solar Energy UK.
Additionally, even though solar power's efficiency declines in the summer due to the longer days and clearer skies, it still produces a significant amount of electricity.
On Monday, June 12, coal was used for the first time in 46 days, but solar energy still produced about one-fifth of the electricity needed in the UK during the day's middle.
Although solar energy generated less electricity over the past weekend compared to the weekend before, it was still a sizable amount.
Solar energy generated 9 point 2 percent of the UK's electricity overall over the last seven days. Accordingly, it has been producing more electricity than usual over the past week, as you might anticipate during the summer, when compared to the entire year 2022's average of 4.3 percent.
The reason for the brief restart of coal power plants is due to a number of other factors.
- The demand for electricity for cooling systems went up because of the heat.
- Since there was less wind than usual, fewer wind farms produced electricity.
- Less natural gas had to be used because of gas power plant maintenance.
- The capacity of the electricity interconnectors between the UK and Norway was reduced as a result of a technical issue, limiting the amount of electricity that could be imported.
The Climate Change Committee, the government's independent advisors, stated in March that more work would need to be done to prepare the UK for times when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine.
By investing in hydrogen and carbon capture, for example, it was suggested that this could be accomplished without the release of greenhouse gases.
In order to reach its overall net zero by 2050 goal, the government has pledged to produce all of its electricity from clean sources by 2035.
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