By 2025, the UK has reached 206,682 rooftop solar PV installations, setting a record for the industry and bringing the total number of certified small-scale solar installations in the UK to 1.85 million.
This is according to the latest data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which has been tracking annual rooftop renewable energy installations for many years. MCS noted that new-build rooftop solar projects have been “one of the key drivers” behind the growth. Since October 2023, solar deployments in new constructions have accounted for 32% of all rooftop solar installations. However, in the first 11 months of 2025, this proportion has increased to 35%, indicating that these deployments are becoming an increasingly important part of the UK’s energy mix.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated, “The British public’s demand for solar panels is at an all-time high because they know it is a brilliant way to cut energy bills.” He mentioned the Future Homes Standard (FHS), which will mandate solar panels on new-build rooftops, as a key accelerator for the distributed solar industry.
“This is why this government is committed to introducing the FHS, so the vast majority of new homes will be fitted with solar panels, and every family living in these homes can be freed from energy bills.”
MCS Rooftop Solar Installation Chart.JPG
2025 is a record year for rooftop solar PV installations in the UK. Image: MCS.
As shown in the chart above, the 2025 rooftop installation data represents the fifth consecutive year of year-on-year growth in rooftop solar deployment. MCS data also shows significant geographical variation in deployments, with Somerset and Cornwall leading the country with 3,741 and 3,726 installations, respectively. North Yorkshire (2,780), County Durham (2,668), and Wiltshire (2,545) rounded out the top five.
MCS also noted an increase in battery energy storage installations. In the first nine months of this year, the number of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installations grew by 122% compared to the same period in 2024. Market analyst Pexapark described the UK market as a “frontrunner” for co-located solar-plus-storage projects due to the “flexible” nature of its Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.
