UK homes install solar at fastest pace since 2015 as prices drop

UK HOMES are installing solar panels at their fastest rate in a decade as the technology’s cost continues to fall.

Domestic solar installations amounted to 82 megawatts in October, the biggest addition since 2015, when there was a spike ahead of subsidy cuts. Equipment costs in the 2024-2025 financial year are almost a fifth lower than a year earlier, encouraging households to turn to rooftop panels to help cut stubbornly high power bills. 

Almost a third of the UK’s solar capacity is linked to private households. While the country is a world leader for wind energy, solar is playing an increasingly important role in helping it reach net-zero goals. About 11 per cent of the UK’s power came from solar in the second quarter, a record driven by both more sunshine hours and rising installations. 

The government wants to more than double deployment by 2030 to meet its clean power targets. To support the shift, it’s investing £13.2 billion (S$22.6 billion) under a Warm Homes Plan to help households adopt various green measures, including solar panels and batteries. The funds were topped up by an extra £1.5 billion during the UK budget announcement on Wednesday.

One challenge with solar, however, is that power production typically peaks around midday and cannot always be stored for higher evening demand. The technology can be made more effective when paired with batteries and electric vehicles to extend when it can be used. BLOOMBERG