Great Britain’s Solar Boom Reaches 15-Year High in First Half of 2026

Government figures show that 142,536 new solar installations were added in the first six months of 2026, the highest half-year total since the 167,316 installations recorded in the second half of 2011. The data include both large ground-mounted farms and rooftop panels, with rooftop systems accounting for just under one-third of the nation’s total solar capacity. The cumulative number of solar installations across Great Britain now exceeds 2 million.

The Guardian

Rising energy bills have prompted households to install rooftop panels to generate low-cost electricity. The government’s boiler-upgrade scheme received 4,512 applications last month, a 21 % increase over June of the previous year, after the grant for heat-pump replacement was raised by 20 % from £7,500 to £9,000. Additionally, Andy Burnham announced a cut to VAT on electricity bills beginning in October, further reducing the cost of operating heat pumps and solar systems.

The Guardian

E.ON Next reported a 151 % rise in the number of homes installing solar panels in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Octopus Energy, the nation’s largest supplier, said sales of solar panels jumped more than 54 % in March after the Middle-East conflict drove oil and gas prices higher. Large solar farms continue to grow: the 1.4 MW Wheal Jane farm is now dwarfed by the 373 MW Cleve Hill project in Kent, which became the country’s biggest operating solar development last summer, and the 800 MW Springwell farm in Lincolnshire, slated to start generating in 2029.

The Guardian

The Department for Energy Security confirmed the 20 % grant increase to support heat-pump adoption and highlighted the VAT reduction as part of a broader effort to lower household energy costs. Legislation passed this month will allow residents of flats and rented properties to install “balcony solar panels” by the end of August, extending the benefits of solar generation to multi-unit dwellings.

The Guardian

• “More and more households are realising just how much they can save by generating and storing their own energy,” — Phil Gilbert, a director at E

The Guardian

• “People want to engage with their energy use, take control of their bills and rely less on the grid – and solar gives them a practical way to do that,” — Phil Gilbert, a director at E

The Guardian