A record year for solar power generation in the UK

According to a report from Solar Energy UK, this year saw a record 6.3% of Great Britain’s power supplied by the sun, an estimated 18,314 gigawatt-hours of electricity which represents a 30% rise in generation.

The jump was largely due to an 18% surge in capacity over the year, going from about 20.2 gigawatts to around 23.8GW by the end of the year, according to estimates from Solar Media’s Market Research Analyst Josh Cornes. Around 650MW is expected at the smaller scale (largely on residential rooftops), 450MW on the roofs of commercial buildings and 2.5GW on the ground as solar farms.

The record-breaking weather this year also played a significant role. As of Monday, the UK recorded 1,622 hours of sunshine over the year, more than any year since Met Office records began in 1910. Scotland saw its second sunniest year, Wales its sixth, while Northern Ireland was well above the long-term average.

The previous UK record had stood since 2003. March and April were the sunniest, while May was the second sunniest, seeing 653 hours of sunshine in all – 43% above average. The summer was also bright, with 556 hours of sunshine over June, July and August, or 10% above the long-term average.  Southern and eastern England, where solar farms are more concentrated, were particularly sunny.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks comments: “The sunniest year on record highlights the huge opportunity we have to make the most of this clean energy source and keep installing more solar panels on schools, hospitals and homes. As we move into 2026, we will scale up the solar power we need to shield households from volatile fossil fuel markets and tackle the climate crisis.”

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, adds: “The solar sector has long passed being a bit-player in the UK energy market. It is now supplying six times more hydropower, more than half of the output from nuclear and a quarter of the power generated from natural gas. With capacity set to rise to almost 60GW over the coming decade, we are guaranteed to see records tumble each year, putting the nation on course for cheaper, cleaner power.”

For more information, visit: https://solarenergyuk.org/news/solar-generation-smashes-annual-record/