UK solar power enjoying its moment in the sun – Octopus generates a whopping 145 GWh during the last month from solar but also warns of “summer low” demand challenges

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The amount generated was enough to power 50,000 UK homes for a whole year.
Matt Setchell, Head of Octopus’ Energy Investments team, commented:
“You often hear of record national outputs from wind farms based on our much loved British climate, but the same can be said for UK solar power during sunny spells like the one we are currently enjoying. This is a perfect example of how important it is to develop a truly diversified energy mix, to ensure we maximise all our natural resources at any given time. We have been investing in UK onshore renewables for over 8 years, and are as confident as ever that the energy transition is alive and well in this country and we are proud to be helping drive it forward.
 “However, another important consideration is the “summer low” as opposed to “winter peak”, as described by National Grid in its latest Summer Outlook report, whereby the increased amount of unused baseload power on the grid needs to be adequately managed, and hopefully maximised so this electricity is not wasted. As part of our holistic view of the energy system, Octopus has been also investing in smart technology to help enable demand side management and build a more resilient network. It’s no longer just about how much energy you produce, it’s about how you use this energy effectively and at the lowest possible cost to the consumer.”
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  1. – This is calculated using OFGEM’s Medium Electricity Profile Class 1
 Original Data
Time period
Budget (MWh)
Actual (MWh)
Difference (MWh)
Difference (%)
June 5 – June 30 2017
             108,947 
           103,297 
–                       5,650 
-5.2%
June 5 – June 30 2018
             109,411 
           124,005 
                      14,594 
13.3%
July 1 – July 22 2017
               92,763 
             86,784 
–                       5,979 
-6.4%
July 1 – July 22 2018
               92,993 
           101,211 
                         8,218 
8.8%
June 22 – July 22 2017
130476
           112,210 
–                     18,266 
-14.0%
June 22 – July 22 2018
130866
           155,461 
                      24,595 
18.8%