UK Solar Installations 2026: The Data Behind a Record-Breaking Year

Quick answer: 2026 is on course to be the UK’s biggest ever year for home solar. MCS certified more than 57,000 rooftop installations between January and March — the strongest start to a year since 2012 — and by the end of March the UK had passed 2 million solar installations and 22.1 GW of capacity.

After a record-smashing 2025, the solar market has carried its momentum straight into 2026. Here is what the official numbers from the MCS Data Dashboard and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) actually show — and what they mean if you are weighing up panels for your own roof.

The UK passes 2 million solar installations

According to provisional DESNZ deployment data reported by pv magazine, the UK reached 2,003,000 solar installations by the end of March 2026, with total capacity hitting 22.1 GW. Some 2.3 GW was added in the previous 12 months — growth of 11.7%. Ground-mounted solar farms account for the largest share of capacity (8.4 GW, or 38%), but the surge in installation numbers is being driven by rooftops: 66% of March 2026 installations were residential.

March 2026: the biggest month since 2012

March 2026 was remarkable. DESNZ recorded 27,607 installations in the month — the most in any calendar month since 2012 — adding 121 MW of capacity, 85 MW of it residential. On the certified rooftop side, industry reporting of MCS data puts Q1 2026 at over 57,000 certified installations, the strongest opening quarter since the Feed-in Tariff era. (DESNZ counts all installations including large-scale sites, while MCS counts certified small-scale systems — which is why the two sets of figures differ.)

The 2025 baseline: a record that may not last long

For context, MCS reported 267,032 certified rooftop solar installations in 2025 — beating the 2011 record, set during the original Feed-in Tariff boom, by 31%. Battery storage grew alongside it, with more than 40,000 certified installations in 2025, nearly double the previous record. We analysed the first stretch of that boom in our mid-2025 UK solar industry report.

Where solar is booming — and what gets installed alongside it

The growth is remarkably well spread. In MCS’s local authority rankings for 2025, Somerset (3,741 installations) and Cornwall (3,726) led the country, but North Yorkshire (2,780), County Durham (2,668) and Wiltshire (2,545) completed the top five — evidence that rooftop solar is no longer a southern phenomenon. Batteries are increasingly part of the package too: MCS certified more than 40,000 battery storage installations in 2025, nearly double the previous record, as households look to store daytime generation for evening use.

The panels are also producing at record levels. On 17 May 2026, industry monitoring reported UK solar generated 89.74 GWh in a single day, with output peaking at 10.67 GW at 2pm — a new national record.

What is driving the growth?

• New build solar. MCS data shows more than a third of 2025 solar installations were on new-build properties, and the forthcoming Future Homes Standard is set to make solar effectively standard on new homes.
• 0% VAT. Solar panels, batteries and heat pumps carry zero VAT until March 2027.
• Export payments. The Smart Export Guarantee typically pays 4–15p per kWh for electricity you export.
• High electricity prices. At the July–September 2026 price cap of 26.11p/kWh (Ofgem), every unit of self-generated power you use is a unit you do not buy.

What this means if you are considering solar

Rising volumes generally mean a more competitive installer market. Green Reach Energy’s modelled estimate puts the national mid-point cost of a typical domestic system at £6,496, with a typical range of roughly £4,200 to £10,100 depending on system size and region — and our modelling suggests a well-sited system could save up to £577 a year (estimate) at current prices. Try our solar savings calculator for a figure based on your own roof and usage, or start with our solar panels guide. If you want installation quotes when our comparison service launches, you can register interest.

FAQs

How many solar panel installations happened in the UK in 2026 so far?

MCS certified more than 57,000 rooftop solar installations between January and March 2026 — the strongest start to any year since 2012. DESNZ provisional data, which also counts large-scale sites, recorded 27,607 installations in March 2026 alone.

How many homes in the UK now have solar panels?

The UK passed 2 million total solar installations by the end of March 2026 (DESNZ provisional data). The large majority of these are small-scale rooftop systems on homes, which also account for around 37% of the UK’s 22.1 GW of solar capacity when counting arrays below 50 kW.

Will 2026 beat 2025’s solar record?

It is too early to say for certain, but Q1 2026 was the strongest opening quarter on the MCS record since 2012, and policy support — zero VAT until March 2027 and the incoming Future Homes Standard — points the same way. We will update this analysis as MCS publishes further 2026 data.