Research from EnAppSys has revealed that renewables provided over a fifth of the power used by the UK in the first 3 months of 2016. This gives renewables the second highest level of electricity production after gas, and means it surpasses both coal and nuclear.

Renewable's share of the power mix can be broken down into 4 main sources. Wind contributed the largest amount at 46.1% of the country's renewable energy, with biomass at 33.2%, hydro at 13.5% and solar at 7.2%.

Paul Verrill, a director of EnAppSys, stated in a recent press release that “It has been an interesting start to 2016. However, while the system has generally been well supplied, with wholesale power prices dropping 15% from Q1 2105, there have been some occasions of interesting market activity."

“For example, the decline in coal’s share of generation is seeing the market relying more and more on intermittent sources of power, increasing the role of ancillary services and storage. At times this has seen National Grid pay millions of pound on tight days to ensure that there is sufficient short term margin within the system. This has surprisingly come from the coal plants which had planned to close.”

“One of the biggest issues facing the market into 2016/17 is the cost incurred to maintain margin until the capacity mechanism comes into full force in Oct 2018, and how National Grid and the government achieve this without distortion to market operation that can risk jeopardising investment in new build”

For more information about wind turbines, solar, biomass and hydro see our guide to renewable energy sources