Scotland's solar energy strengths

Scotland 12-14 hours of sunshine each day in the summer months and has Solar-Photo-Voltaic (Solar PV) power capability of 500kW.

Indeed Scotland is in the same latitude as Germany, the world’s premier Solar PV market and shares a similar amount of summer sunlight.

Scotland also has a rich tradition of innovation and a commitment to renewable energy sources that make it an ideal location for the development and production of solar energy systems.

Scotland’s solar energy industry benefits from:

  • Fully-formed supply chain to support the further development of solar power technologies
  • Established and globally recognised workforce with expertise in commercial energy production
  • Scotland’s ‘Silicon Glen’ has significant expertise in silicon wafer development and production
  • Diverse university base with broad capabilities and strong links with business drives commercial solar energy applications and technologies
  • Dundee University produced the world’s first amorphous silicon thin film, sparking global growth in the industry

Support for Scotland’s solar energy

The Scottish Government is also committed to the development of renewable energies and has set targets including:

  • A target of 31 percent of electricity consumption in Scotland from renewable power by 2011 has been exceeded
  • Generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland's own electricity demand from renewable resources by 2020, compared to 20 percent for the rest of the UK

Scotland’s growing renewable energy industry is well served by a number of organisations:

  • Scottish Renewables – Scotland’s renewable energy industry forum supports the development and provision of sustainable energy
  • Scottish Solar Energy Group – promotes the use of solar energy power to reduce Scotland’s reliance on fossil based fuels
  • ENTA – founded in 2005 to represent nanotechnology companies both nationally and across the European Union
  • Energy Savings Trust – encourages households, businesses and public sectory to make a more efficient use of energy
  • Institute of Nanotechnology – charitable organisation aiming to develop and promote nanotechnology

Investment in Scotland’s solar energy sector