Load factor of electricity from solar PV in the United Kingdom (UK) 2010 to 2023

The load factor of electricity from solar photovoltaics in the United Kingdom has fluctuated since 2010, amounting to 10.2 percent in 2023. This was significantly lower when compared to the load factors of other renewable sources. This can be explained by the lack of consistency in the number of sunny days recorded. In comparison, the load factor for offshore wind reached over 40 percent in the previous year.

Capacity and generation

In 2023, solar PV accounted for almost 30 of the total renewable capacity installed across the United Kingdom. However, its share of renewable electricity generation was just 10 percent. This was due to the relatively low load factor. In 2010, electricity generated by solar PV amounted to 41 gigawatt-hours. By 2022 this had increased to more than 13,800 gigawatt-hours. 

Turnover and employment drop

In 2021 the UK’s solar PV industry reported a turnover of 2.7 billion British pounds. This was an increase of over one billion British pounds compared to the previous year. As turnover increased, so did employment figures. In 2021 there were approximately 6,400 employees in the sector.