Renewable energy: Is it getting too hot for solar panels?
DUP MP Sammy Wilson has tweeted : "The UK has had to start coal fired generators during this heatwave because the sun is too strong and solar panels have had to be taken offline." This isn't true. While it's correct that solar panels are less efficient at hot temperatures, this reduction is relatively small, and was not the main reason for firing up coal power stations. We spoke to Mr Wilson, who confirmed that the article he had read said that there was a "severe" fall in output, not that the panels had to be taken offline. According to Solar Energy UK , solar panel performance typically falls by about 0.34 percentage points for every degree that the temperature rises above 25C, although that varies between different panels. It also said that the longer days and clearer skies mean solar power generates much more electricity during the summer, even if the efficiency falls. On Monday 12 June, coal power was used for the first time in 46 days, but solar power still generated around one-fifth of the UK's electricity during the middle part of the day . Output from solar power was down by nearly a quarter last weekend compared with the weekend before - but it still generated a considerable amount of electricity. Overall, over the past seven days, solar power contributed 9.2% to the UK's electricity . That compares with 4.3% for the whole of 2022, so it has been generating more electricity than average in the past week, as you'd expect in the summer. A number of other factors explain coal power stations being briefly restarted: The government's independent advisers, the Climate Change Committee, said in March that more would need to be done to prepare the UK for periods when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining . It suggested this could be done without contributing to greenhouse gas emissions - for example by investing in hydrogen, and by continuing with some limited use of natural gas that is made low carbon via carbon capture technology. The government has committed to generating all electricity from clean sources by 2035, as a key step towards its overall net zero by 2050 target. Read more about BBC Verify: Explaining the 'how' - the launch of BBC Verify Morocco rescuers dig with bare hands as foreign aid sent US denies Cold War with China in historic Vietnam visit How Russia and West agreed on Ukraine G20 language How Russia and West agreed on Ukraine G20 language US denies Cold War with China in historic Vietnam visit 'Everyone in this village is either dead or missing' A Serbian scientist's long quest to name Srebrenica's dead How chronic pain feels for me. Video How chronic pain feels for me Guyana scrambles to make the most of oil wealth The spongy creatures cleaning Zanzibar's oceans. Video The spongy creatures cleaning Zanzibar's oceans Inside a 'hijacked' South African building. Video Inside a 'hijacked' South African building The rise and fall of a parenting influencer Florida's first hurricane-proof town The greatest spy novel ever written? Why is everyone crazy about Aperol? 2023 BBC.