The solar PV industry has been left bewildered by its exclusion from the list of eight core technologies outlined in the government’s Renewable Energy Roadmap, released last week, which sets out how to achieve the UK’s target of achieving 15% of electricity through renewable sources by 2020.

Solar technology seen as too expensive

Whilst the roadmap acknowledges that solar PV has a part to play in large-scale UK renewable deployment in the future, it has not been included in the list of eight as according to the DECC it is currently a technology that is more expensive than other alternatives.

The eight technologies that the DECC reckons have the greatest potential to help the UK meet the 2020 target are onshore and offshore wind, marine energy, biomass heat and electricity, ground source and air source heat pumps and renewable transport.

These eight are seen as being capable of delivering more than 90% of the renewable energy needed by 2020.

Acknowledging that technology costs change and new innovations come to the fore, the government has pledged to update the Roadmap annually.