{"id":488151,"date":"2026-07-03T11:37:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lightsourcebp.com\/?p=488151"},"modified":"2026-07-03T11:37:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:37:28","slug":"15-years-of-solar-from-first-of-a-kind-to-critical-infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsourcebp.com\/uk\/news\/15-years-of-solar-from-first-of-a-kind-to-critical-infrastructure\/","title":{"rendered":"15 years of solar \u2013 from first-of-a kind to critical infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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15 years of solar \u2013 from first-of-a kind to critical infrastructure<\/h1>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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Last week marked 15 years since the UK\u2019s first utility-scale solar farm began generating electricity.<\/strong> In that time, solar has moved from experimental to essential – and Lightsource bp has been at the heart of that transformation.<\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s first utility-scale solar farms were commissioned in June 2011, including Lightsource bp\u2019s first solar farm, Wheal Jane in Cornwall. Built on a disused tin mine, this project proved that solar could work at scale in the UK\u2019s climate and demonstrated how underused land could be repurposed for renewable energy. At the time, solar supplied less than 0.07% of the electricity mix.<\/p>\n

Today, more than 25GW of solar<\/strong> now operates across the UK, powering homes and businesses with affordable, homegrown electricity. Lightsource bp has developed 14.2GW of that capacity since launching in 2011 and the sector\u2019s momentum continues to accelerate \u2013 in April this year, solar generation reached a record peak of 16.3GW, supplying 46% of Great Britain\u2019s power at midday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

15 years of solar<\/h2>\n

Lightsource bp has played a major role in the sector\u2019s growth, driving innovation and achieving milestones including:<\/p>\n