Despite the many benefits solar energy has to citizens in the UK, there are misconceptions, still believed that continue to prevent widespread adoption of solar energy schemes. Should barriers to solar energy adoption in the UK be addressed, there could be tremendous advantages. Experts believe that should the government be willing, and the citizens become aware and careful of the myths and misconceptions, more benefits by solar would be realised in the country.

Most of the many challenges to adoption of solar technology in the UK have been dealt with. the cost of solar installation, for instance, has been a pressing concern by many households intending to adopt solar. Nevertheless, the cost has considerably declined than what people still believe it is. Since 2010, the solar installation cost has steadily fallen and is expected to fall another 25% by 2022 by energy management companies. Unfortunately, despite all this, the majority of people still believe that the installation cost of solar panel batteries is what prevents them from embracing solar energy.

Residents who have not taken the leap to solar energy also blame it on unreliable weather. Indeed, solar production must contend with the reality of alternating seasons and as well as the difference of weather in various parts of the country. Some of the areas have low solar energy production, for instance, in the northern Europe solar panel capacity is a mere 15%. With the considerations above, you can see why the common misconception that solar panels need constant sunshine to operate efficiently is a barrier to the adoption of solar in the country.

While it is very possible to improve the adoption by changing the appearance of solar panels to be aesthetically appealing on buildings, there are more effective ways of breaking down barriers to solar energy adoption in the country. These include utilization of technology and Internet of Things (IoT).

Technology to help encourage solar adoption
One technology that is changing how solar panels have been perceived in the past is the solar home battery. This enables solar to be used even when there is no sunshine or when the sun goes down. People with solar panels no longer have to rely on the direct production of solar energy to be used directly. Batteries have made a lot of people embrace solar thanks to the added benefits of the systems.

Another idea is by combining solar energy with other renewable technologies instead of completely giving up on it. The government could combine solar with main renewable energy sources such as hydro, tidal, wind and geothermal. This could go a long way in encouraging solar adoption in the UK.

Improve solar energy through IoT
The revolutionizing ability of Internet of Things experienced in many industries could also be useful in improving solar. Just a little effort by different stakeholders and a fully-integrated system could be installed. This could facilitate management of the entire grid and allow operators to identify problems and correct them nearly to real-time as it is possible. With solar energy operator being able to see the current activity in every asset in a single control panel, there is a solution to most of the challenges affecting solar adoption throughout the UK.

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