The figures reveal continued growth in renewables generation, up 2.3 percentage points on the same period in 2015. Renewable electricity generation reached 23.2TWh in the first quarter of 2016, representing a 6.4% increase on the same period in 2015.
The increase was largely due to growth in capacity, as wind speeds and rainfall for hydropower were both down on 2015.
Total UK renewable energy capacity reached 31.2GW by the end of the first quarter of 2016, an 11.8% (3.3GW) increase on the same period in 2015. But a 3.4% fall in overall electricity generation also boosted the share of renewables.
HOwever, wind generation, the main renewables contributor in the UK, decreased by 2.5% to 11.6TWh. This is because capacity increases were offset by lower wind speeds.
Rapid growth in the renewables sector has recently been affected by reduced investor confidence following a series of policy roll-backs in 2015. This was partly mitigated by an announcement of up to in three contracts for difference to auctions, to support offshore wind and other less established technologies capacity up to 2030.
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