UK unveils plan to triple solar capacity by 2030

Market: Electricity
30/06/25

The UK government has unveiled a plan to nearly triple solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity to 45-47GW by 2030.

The roadmap — co-chaired by energy secretary Ed Miliband and industry body Solar Energy UK chief executive Chris Hewett — outlines a series of measures to address challenges in planning, grid connections, supply chains and skills. It estimates that solar could power about 9mn homes by 2030, up from 2mn currently, and suggests that up to 0.4pc of UK land would be required for ground-mounted solar to achieve these targets.

Total PV capacity in the UK at the end of May was 18.9GW across about 1.8mn installations, provisional government data show. Additions totalled nearly 1.4GW over the 12 months to May, slowing slightly from the 1.5GW added a year earlier. Installations need to ramp up significantly to more than 4.7 GW/yr of new capacity if the UK is to reach the lower end of the 45-47GW target range for 2030.

A key focus of the plan is expanding rooftop solar, with the forthcoming future home standard set to mandate solar panels on most new homes from this autumn. The "warm homes plan", backed by £13.2bn over the spending review period, aims to support households in adopting solar panels and other energy-saving measures to reduce energy bills.

The government is also exploring reforms to the Consumer Credit Act to facilitate financing for domestic solar installations, while state-owned company Great British Energy will fund solar projects for about 200 schools and 200 hospitals in England in 2025-26.

For commercial rooftops, the roadmap highlights the potential of warehouse roofs, which could support 15GW of capacity, and proposes streamlined contractual agreements to ease installations on leased buildings. The government is also considering the potential of solar canopies on car parks and plug-in solar systems for households, with a safety study planned to explore the latter.

Planning reforms include doubling the threshold for nationally significant solar projects to 100MW from 50MW, enabling more mid-sized projects to be decided locally, and updating the national planning policy framework to prioritise renewable energy. A £46mn investment will enhance local planning authorities' capacity, while a new "solar council" will monitor progress.

By Timothy Santonastaso

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