UK sees growth in solar power half for second consecutive year

New solar power installations have dropped by half for the second year in a row in the UK.

It is anticipated that the drop in solar growth is linked to the government’s subsidy cuts.

Last year, the total capacity of installed solar hit 0.95GW, falling from 1.97GW in 2016 and 4.1GW in 2015.

The UK’s installations figures were so low they brought down the European Union’s (EU) despite the solar being on a global rise.

“Even though 21 of the 28 EU markets showed growth, this wasn’t enough to compensate for the British losses,” reads SolarPowerEurope’s Global Market Outlook 2018-2022 report.

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In the top 20 solar markets in the world, the UK had the slowest growth and the lowest growth prospects in Europe, claims the continent’s solar trade body.

“Solar power has been voted the most popular energy source in the UK, it is therefore sad to see the UK government not take advantage of the huge potential of solar,” said James Watson, CEO of SolarPowerEurope.

The political party, Labour, has argued the Conservative government’s pledges towards renewable power were “nothing but an empty PR move”, the Guardian reported.