New data from industry body Solar Energy UK has revealed that over 40% of new homes built in England last year were fitted with solar panels.
Solar Energy UK estimates that around 45,070 new homes were built in England in the fourth quarter of 2024, and figures from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) show that 18,954 solar PV installations were made on new-build properties in the same period. Assuming all of these installations took place on homes, this means that 42% of newly-built homes in Q4 2024 are powered by solar energy.
This represents a significant increase from the previous year; in the final quarter of 2023, only 13% of new build properties were fitted with solar panels. The proportion of new homes and buildings that come with solar panels has risen by over three times in the past 12 months.
The news comes after the rejection of a bill that would mandate all new homes in England to have an area equivalent to at least 40% of their ground floor area covered by solar panels.
“It’s a reasonable assumption that at least 40% of new English homes now have solar power, given the clear trend in the data. It will certainly be a much higher proportion by the end of the year, when the transition to an upgraded energy efficiency requirement under the Building Regulations should be complete. Comparable rules in Scotland led to 80% of new homes having panels fitted,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK.
“There has been much attention lately on the next iteration of the Building Regulations, the Future Homes Standard, which we expect will all but mandate substantial solar installations on new homes. But is important to recognise how the existing rules are driving growth in the industry, while cutting emissions and bills for homeowners. The numbers demolish any suggestion that the solar industry would be unable to scale up to meet even greater demand under the forthcoming standard,” he added.
Retrofits on the rise
According to statistics from the MCS, existing homes have also been embracing solar. The organisation, which certifies renewable energy products and installers, noted that a total of 15,496 solar installations took place in January 2025, a 16.5% increase from the 13,298 installations completed in January 2024. Furthermore, between January 2024 and January 2025, 200,010 home solar PV installations were carried out, as well as 22,667 home battery storage systems.
Meanwhile, Solar Energy UK has suggested that increasing the UK’s targets for solar energy installations – primarily by delivering the “rooftop revolution” that the UK government has been aiming for – could significantly lower the cost of electricity.
Pointing to research carried out by the Durham University Energy Institute, Solar Energy UK states that if 60GW of solar capacity is installed by the year 2030, energy costs will be 12% lower than if the UK reaches the 47.4GW of solar capacity laid out in the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) Clean Power Plan.
