Labour says Britain’s solar rollout is breaking records as households and businesses turn to homegrown power after the latest fossil fuel shock.
New DESNZ figures show 269,000 solar installations were completed across the UK in 2025, the highest total ever recorded in a calendar year and 37% higher than the year before.
Around 255,000 of those were rooftop solar installations, meaning at least 95% of new solar was fitted on homes, businesses and other buildings.
DESNZ says that works out as a new rooftop solar installation every two minutes during 2025. The department also claims momentum has continued into 2026, with nearly 23,000 new solar installations completed in April alone.
More than half of those were on homes, suggesting households are increasingly looking to generate their own power as energy prices remain exposed to global gas and oil shocks following the war in Iran.
Labour is presenting the figures as evidence that its clean power mission is starting to shift Britain away from imported fossil fuels and towards domestic electricity generation.
DESNZ says nine of the 10 strongest months for solar deployment ever recorded have taken place within the past year.
The UK also passed 2 million total solar installations for the first time in March 2026, covering homes, communities and solar farms.
The department said the cost of acquiring and installing solar PV has fallen by up to 9%, helping drive wider take-up.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “As we face a second fossil fuel crisis in 5 years, Britain is taking back control of their energy by generating more clean power than ever before.
“This is what our clean power mission looks like: backing homegrown energy, giving people more control over their bills, and building a stronger, more resilient energy system for the future.”
Labour also points to larger solar projects as part of the same push.
These include consent for Springwell Solar Farm, which DESNZ describes as the largest power-producing solar farm in UK history, as well as plans to make solar panels standard on new homes in England.
The government is also pushing so-called plug-in solar panels, which could allow households to use lower-cost panels on balconies or outdoor spaces.
Businesses and public bodies are moving too. Numatic International, maker of Henry the Hoover, has launched a solar park expected to supply around 20% of its Somerset factory’s electricity demand.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has installed rooftop solar expected to cut bills by around £9,500 a year while Wren Kitchens is developing what is expected to become the UK’s largest factory rooftop solar array.
DESNZ says a further 100 schools and colleges will also receive rooftop solar this year through Great British Energy’s solar scheme.
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