UK rooftop solar installations hit record high
Posted by: electime 17th November 2025
- 2025 is best year on record for certified solar panel installations, breaking previous record set in 2011
- Data from MCS shows new build installations driving growth, accounting for 35 per cent of solar installations in 2025
- Energy Secretary Ed Miliband welcomes solar record and highlights small-scale renewable technologies’ role in cutting energy bills
The number of certified solar panel installations in 2025 has now surpassed 203,125 – the previous annual record set in 2011. This brings the total to 1.85 million certified solar panel installations to date, according to data from MCS, the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewables.
One of the key drivers behind the growth has been installations on new build properties. Since MCS started collecting data for new builds in October 2023, there have been 139,425 certified solar PV installations on properties of this type – accounting for 32 per cent of total solar installations during this period. This proportion has risen to 35 per cent
in 2025 and in June earlier this year the record for the highest volume of certified solar going onto new builds in a single month was broken, with 9,507 installations.
The upcoming Future Homes Standard, which will effectively mandate solar panels on new builds by 2027, is set to be published this year. This sets the stage for even further growth in the newbuild solar market.
When it comes to the top performing local authorities for solar installations, Somerset and Cornwall are leading the way, with 3,741 and 3,726 certified installations respectively for the year so far. However, it isn’t just southern regions that are installing solar, with North Yorkshire (2,780) and County Durham (2,668) in third and fourth place. Wiltshire, with 2,545 solar installations, completes the top five for the year to date.
There has also been significant growth in battery storage, often installed alongside solar panels to store excess electricity. By the end of September, certified battery storage installations had increased by 122 per cent compared to the equivalent period last year, with total installations now reaching 59,000.
Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS: “It’s great to see 2025 continue to be a record-breaking year for small-scale renewables, as more people put their trust in solar to power their homes.
“This highlights the important role of certification in providing confidence to consumers. We’ve redeveloped our Installer Scheme to ensure we can continue to support the sector as it grows, putting consumer protection at its heart. Our mission is to give everyone confidence in home-grown energy, especially as the number of installations continues to grow.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband: “The British people are showing record demand for solar panels because they know this is a slam dunk way to cut energy bills.
“That is why this Government is committed to introducing the Future Homes Standard, so the vast majority of new build homes are fitted with solar from the build and every family who lives in these homes has money off their bills.
“This is the Government’s clean energy superpower mission in action – lower bills and energy security to make working people better off.”
Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of trade association Solar Energy UK: “This is tremendous news. The longstanding annual record has come close to being beaten for the past two years – and with the Future Homes Standard coming in, I have no doubt we will see yet more records being set in the coming years. Solar generation is expanding rapidly at all scales, from homes to factories, warehouses and on the ground, helping to drive down bills, secure our energy supplies and deliver economic growth, all while protecting our environment.”
MCS holds the most comprehensive repository of data on the uptake of small-scale renewable technologies across the UK on The MCS Data Dashboard. For near-real-time updates on renewable installations, you can sign up for free to The MCS Data Dashboard here.
