Solar power soared to a record level last year, as Britain’s sunniest year was coupled with a surge in the number of panels installed by householders.
Retailers including Amazon and Lidl hope to sell plug-in solar panels within months, which are likely to lead to a further boost in solar power generation.
Solar power has been a minnow in the country’s electricity mix, but the amount of electricity generated by panels surged by 37 per cent last year. It reached 6.9 per cent of supply, according to government figures published on Thursday.
The weather played a key role. Last year was the sunniest since records began in 1910: there were 1,649 hours of sunshine, 61.4 more than the previous record set in 2003.
The UK has become sunnier since the 1980s along with the rest of Europe. Researchers believe it is because of reductions in the pollutants released from cars and fossil fuel power stations, which reflect sunlight back to space.
Solar output was also boosted by a 15 per cent expansion in energy capacity last year, to 21.7 gigawatts. Solar power accounted for roughly three quarters of all new renewable energy capacity added last year. It marks a shift from previous years, when new capacity was typically dominated by wind power.
Alongside new panels on more than 180,000 homes, solar power was boosted by several new large solar farms coming online. Those included Clifton Solar Farm in Dorset.
Overall, renewable sources including solar, wind and biomass provided more than 52.5 per cent of the country’s electricity last year.
With analysts predicting that the Iran conflict will push a typical energy bill to £1,929 a year in July, householders have rushed to install solar panels.
Octopus Energy reported a 54 per cent increase in solar sales in the first three weeks of March compared to the month before. It said people had been “supersizing” systems, installing 12 panels instead of the more typical ten in the past.
Consumers could soon be able to buy solar panels from the “middle aisle” of Lidl that require no expert installation. The government is racing to change regulations that prevent people connecting plug-in panels rated 800 watts and less to domestic mains sockets.
Such “balcony solar”, named because it is often hung over balconies, is popular in Germany and Spain. Pricing is not confirmed for Britain yet but in Germany some can cost £200, rising to around £2,000 for a complete system.
Solar panel uptake should be boosted further this year by loans with zero and low interest rates for people installing them. The loans are expected to be offered by private lenders such as banks, subsidised with around £2 billion of government funding.
A new analysis has suggested that wind and solar generation last month saved the UK £1 billion in avoided gas imports. Wind generation was up 38 per cent compared to March 2025, while solar output was also high.
The electricity generated by the two technologies was estimated to avert imports of about 21 terawatt hours of gas, or about 18 ships loaded with liquefied natural gas. At the high market prices due to the Iran war, the gas would have cost around £1 billion, the website Carbon Brief said.
Promoted Content
© Times Media Limited 2025.
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.
Enjoy unlimited access to all articles. Ends soon.
Enjoy unlimited digital access.
Already have an account? Log in
