• Comparative data on sunlight hours between the Bailiwick and UK shows islands enjoyed significantly more sun last year

• Little Green Energy Company translates this into 14.3% more potential for solar power generation

• Global electricity demand rising at fastest rate in two decades as prices rise in Guernsey, demonstrating value of self-generation through solar panels

  
  

Data from the Met Office has revealed that the UK experienced only 1,435 hours of sunshine in 2023, compared to Guernsey’s 1,814. The sunshine island therefore had more daylight to convert into solar power, reflecting 1,196 kWh per kWp compared to the UK’s 1,025 kWh per kWp. Guernsey thus had 14.3% more potential for solar power than the UK in 2023.

The data is timely, as it follows Guernsey Electricity’s annual report of further potential price rises for consumers, and the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) advice that demand for electricity is rising at its fastest rate in two decades and is set to increase throughout the year.

Jamie Clark, Operations Director at The Little Green Energy Company, said: “Guernsey is in a moment of significant change as prices rise and demand grows, but it also has the ability to make more of its unique location.

“We see significantly more of the sun than our UK counterparts, so locals with solar panels installed on their roofs have the capacity to generate more renewable energy on average than they would on the mainland. When paired with storage technology like a Tesla Powerwall 3, which allows islanders to store their power and use it during the evenings and the darker autumn and winter months, concerns about rising costs of traditional electricity solutions can be mitigated.”

The Tesla Powerwall 3 is due to launch in Guernsey in September and will aid the island’s green energy revolution, contributing to the Bailiwick’s ambitious 2050 net zero target. The new technology is designed to accelerate the transition towards renewable energy and discharges more power than ever before; 11kh/w of energy. Each unit’s significantly increased storage supply allows users to power more appliances at once, reducing the potential cost of running necessary household appliances.

Islanders are being advised to try out the innovative new technology themselves by downloading the Tesla app and seeing how solar power can help them reduce their carbon footprint and electricity bills.

Sources:

Business Green, 19th July 2024, ‘Towards an Electric Future: IEA confirms global electricity demand rising at fastest rate in almost two decades’: https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4337461/electric-future-iea-confirms-global-electricity-demand-rising-fastest-rate-decades

Met Office Annual Report, 3rd January 2024, ‘Seasonal Assessment Summary 2023’: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/summaries/uk_climate_summary_calendar_year_2023.pdf

Guernsey Met Office, ‘2023 Annual Weather Report’: http://www.metoffice.gov.gg/AnnualReports/2023%20Annual%20Report.pdf

States of Deliberation of the Islands of Guernsey, ‘Guernsey Electricity Limited – Annual Report and Accounts’, 6th June 2024: https://gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=179770&p=0