‘Sunlight salary’: Exactly how much solar panels knock off your energy bills – even under grey skies
Despite the money they can save households on electricity bills, just one in 10 European roofs has solar panels.
Even though Britain is known for its grey skies and rainy days, solar panels can still help households save a significant amount on their electricity bills. A solar software company called GreenSketch analyzed data from over 15 million UK homes and found that an optimised rooftop solar and battery system could save the average household around €1,100 per year, which the company calls a 'sunlight salary'.
The savings are not solely dependent on sunshine. Electricity prices, the angle of the roof, the time of day when power is used, battery storage capabilities, and income from sending excess electricity back to the grid all play crucial roles. Despite grey skies, solar panels can still generate electricity, making them a viable option even in less sunny regions across Europe.
Southwest Wales leads the pack with an estimated average annual savings of €1,160, followed by southeast England at approximately €1,150. In Northern Ireland, the highest returns were observed in the eastern regions rather than the southern ones, indicating that local weather patterns and geography can impact solar energy generation just as much as their latitude.
These findings challenge the notion that solar panels are only economically viable in sunnier locations. While solar panels generate more power in direct sunlight, they still produce electricity on overcast days – a significant advantage for countries with less intense sunlight. Moreover, solar panels can quickly recoup the cost of their installation, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that a typical system pays for itself within 10 to 12 years.
The potential for solar power extends far beyond southern Europe. In the UK, similar savings could be achieved elsewhere if more households embraced solar energy, especially with the addition of battery storage systems that enable households to use the power they generate during the day even after sunset. A study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre predicts that solar panels on rooftops could meet 40% of the EU's long-term electricity requirements by 2050.
In Finland, Denmark, and other Nordic countries, non-residential roofs alone could supply at least 95% of the solar capacity needed by 2030.
Despite these promising prospects, only one in ten European rooftops currently hosts solar panels, as reported by the Joint Research Centre. This presents a vast untapped potential for further expansion of solar energy across the continent.
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