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Half a Million Solar Systems Now on UK Buildings

Brandon Baker
Jan. 14, 2014 12:24PM EST Business

The United Kingdom is on a march to 1 million.

According to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, 499,687 solar systems were installed by Jan. 5 as part of the feed-in tariff program supporting solar arrays smaller than 50 kilowatts. The British government has established a goal of 1 million panels by 2015.

The industry has been averaging 1,900 installations per week over the past year, according to Business Green.

Some say a solar revolution is going on in the United Kingdom. Photo credit: Marketers Media

"A quiet solar revolution has been taking place led by half a million everyday households," said Leonie Greene of the Solar Trade Association. "Polls show over and over that the public back renewables and they have indeed put their hands in their pockets to prove it."

Greene said the number of installed panels is likely higher because the government was only counting those that had been installed after the feed-in program began in early 2010. The solar systems installed since then add 1.8 gigawatts (GW) to the UK's grid.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker thinks the UK can soon surpass 3 GW. 

"That is more than any other country in Europe and puts us right up there in the growth sectors of anywhere in the world," he said. "It's a staggering achievement."

Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES page for more related news on this topic.

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