UK generated record levels of solar energy in 2025

The UK generated a record 18,314 gigawatt-hours of sun-powered electricity in 2025 – up 30% from the previous year – largely thanks to capacity growth and particularly sunny weather.

A total of 6.3% of the country’s electricity came from solar this year, according to trade association Solar Energy UK.

Growth was largely due to an 18% increase in solar capacity over the year, from about 20.2 GW to around 23.8 GW by the end of the year, according to estimates. Around 650 MW is also installed on residential rooftops, 450 MW on the roofs of commercial buildings and 2.5 GW on the ground as solar farms.

In addition, the UK benefitted from record-breaking weather this year, with 1,622 hours of sunshine – more than any year since records began in 1910. Scotland saw its second sunniest year, Wales its sixth, while Northern Ireland was well above the long-term average.

In comparison, in 2024, the UK generated a total of 14,067 GWh, according to grid operator NESO.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Solar is one of the cheapest forms of power – getting us off fossil fuels and delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good. The sunniest year on record highlights the huge opportunity we have to make the most of this clean energy source and keep installing more solar panels on schools, hospitals and homes. As we move into 2026, we will scale up the solar power we need to shield households from volatile fossil fuel markets and tackle the climate crisis.”

UK power emissions intensity

The growth in solar generation contributed to a drop in the UK’s electricity emissions intensity, which is down from 444g of CO2 per kilowatt-hour in 2009 to 126g in 2025 – its second lowest year for carbon intensity.

Solar is now the cheapest source of electricity in the UK, and generation growth is helping to reduce the cost of electricity from the grid, Solar Energy UK explained, adding that this will be more apparent over the coming years.

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, said: “The solar sector has long passed being a bit-player in the UK energy market. It is now supplying six times more hydropower, more than half of the output from nuclear and a quarter of the power generated from natural gas. With capacity set to rise to almost 60 GW over the coming decade, we are guaranteed to see records tumble each year, putting the nation on course for cheaper, cleaner power.”