Nearly 172,000 solar installations have been fitted across the UK since January, and the government has published its first regional breakdown of where the panels are going.
July was the third-highest month for solar installations on record, with nearly 28,000 completed across homes, businesses and larger projects. Only March and June this year were higher. Rooftop accounted for more than seven in ten installations during the month, with more than 19,800 rooftop systems fitted, or one every two minutes.
The regional data is new. Until now the government published national totals, which said nothing about which parts of the country were taking up solar and which were being left behind. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released these new figures at the end of August.
Where the panels are going
The South East leads, with 22,628 installations this year and a running total of 305,101, up 14 per cent since last July. The South West follows on 17,539 this year and 271,400 in total, up 13 per cent. The East of England recorded 18,109 this year against a total of 241,195, a rise of 15 per cent.
The East Midlands and North West sit closer together. The East Midlands added 15,981 for a total of 182,606, up 17 per cent, while the North West added 15,927 for a total of 186,253, up 16 per cent. Growth rates therefore run fastest in the regions with the smaller installed bases.
Every nation and region grew
Installations rose across every UK nation and English region over the last twelve months. Wales recorded the strongest growth at 18 per cent, ahead of Scotland on 14 per cent. The North East grew by 11 per cent, the slowest rate in the set.
Energy minister Michael Shanks said households across Britain are “embracing solar power and taking control of their energy”. He pointed to the Warm Homes Plan as the route to making rooftop solar more affordable for families on lower incomes.
Plug-in panels change the base
The figures land alongside the legalisation of plug-in solar across Great Britain, which took effect in late August. Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Amazon are preparing to stock the kits.
Those panels won’t appear in the certified installation data, since they need no installer. So the regional picture published this month may be the last clean read on domestic solar uptake before a second, uncounted channel opens up.
