UK to Allow "Plug in" Solar(www.gov.uk)

16 pointsby edent5 hours ago1 comment

cheschire3 hours ago
> low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space
Given the UK's typical solar exposure[0], and the quality of panels you can pickup at a supermarket, this has gotta be a net negative for a family right?
0: https://globalsolaratlas.info/map
- ErroneousBosh2 hours ago
  The thing that people in the US forget about the UK (and indeed Europe in general) is that we're a lot further north than you think.
  The UK's most southerly city, Truro, is still only at 50.26°N, but that's still further north than the border between the US and Canada.
  - cheschire2 hours ago
    I’m not entirely sure how your response maps to my comment, but indeed the airstream impacts on weather cause a much warmer climate in much of Europe compared to North America. This can confuse many folks when guessing the latitude of locations in each region. I remember how shocked I was when I was younger to learn Paris is nearly the same latitude as Vancouver, especially considering the climate difference.
    ErroneousBoshan hour ago
    It's more that there's comparatively little insolation here, unlike pretty much all of the US. If you go to one of the US cities that's incredibly far south like Seattle, you've got way more sunlight pretty much all year round.
    Even down here at 57°N I'd need a solar farm the size of a football pitch to run a few lights in winter, and it would have to have the panels practically vertical because for the six hours or so the Sun is up the highest it ever gets is 9° above the horizon.
    You're pretty okay for wind though, although if you're on the north-west coast it needs to be good for maybe 140-150mph sustained.