These are sunny days for the solar industry. Some might even say we are at the bright dawn of a new era in energy collection and distribution. Households in different countries across the globe are looking to residential solar panel systems as viable and, in some cases, preferable alternatives to conventional forms of energy.

The latest shining moment for solar energy happened recently in dark, cloudy England of all places. Over a 24-hour period, the United Kingdom produced more energy via solar than it did from coal, an amazing event that shows both the decline in coal usage and the immense growth of solar.

There will still be some who try to bring gloom to the situation —pointing out that is only likely to occur a couple of days out of the year. However, when you take a look at the way solar is trending in the UK overall, it’s clear that the sun is rising on solar as a viable energy source.

Money Talks

In the UK, much like in the United States, the cost of solar panel systems continue to decrease, and the ancillary benefits continue to increase. In the UK, the growth has been especially stark since 2013.

“It is also one of the cheapest major renewables and the most popular with the British public, so why the UK government has stepped back from supporting this winning technology is difficult to understand,” a spokeswoman for the Solar Trade Association said recently.

At the same time, both the environmental costs and the economic viability of coal have taken massive hits. According to one energy analyst, “The economics of coal have deteriorated dramatically over the last 18 months. Coal-power plants in the UK are now heavily loss-making.”

Better Results

Along with the growth of solar system installations, there also have been improvements in efficiency and viability of solar systems. In the UK, this had led to output 20 to 50 percent higher in the first quarter of 2016 than during the same period in 2015. This has analysts looking at solar as a growth producer, even if governments begin to curtail subsidies and incentives, as some are looking to do.

Even with installation growth slowing slightly, the production from these systems will help solar continue its movement up the charts in England’s electricity generation mix. Moreover, solar is the most readily available renewable energy source for residential customers, allowing average folks to be an active part of finding the energy mix of the future.

The Sun is Still Rising

Despite some minor setbacks, solar power adoption in the UK looks set to continue on its overall upward trajectory. One study revealed that already, solar deployment has grown to over 10GW in the UK.

In 2015, the UK generated some 2.2 percent of its energy through solar, a huge jump from 2011, when that number was barely above zero. Meanwhile, the increasing amount of power solar is generating to the grid continues to cut into the power being produced by coal. Meaning that days like the one we had recently could be more commonplace.

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