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UK Solar Installations Top Two Million After Record March

Ministers say the rooftop boom will cut exposure to fossil-fuel price shocks linked to the Iran war.

Overview

  • Government figures released Thursday show 27,607 systems were installed in March, the highest monthly total since 2012 and enough to push the UK past two million solar installations.
  • Two-thirds of March’s additions were rooftop panels on homes, which let households generate power on site and reduce what they buy from the grid.
  • Solar capacity grew 11.7% over the past year, adding 2.3 gigawatts to Britain’s supply, and generation topped 15 gigawatts in March for the first time.
  • To sustain the surge, the government has consented the Springwell solar farm in Lincolnshire, is moving to sell low-cost plug-in balcony panels in shops within months, and plans to make panels standard on new homes in England.
  • Ministers also backed Great British Energy to equip 100 more schools and colleges with rooftop solar this year and proposed an extra £100 million for the Social Housing Fund, subject to final approvals.