A record number of solar panels were installed last year according to official figures.

Solar installations totalled 262,000 in 2025, a 37 per cent increase year-on-year and the highest recorded total since 2011. The majority of these were small scale (under 50kW) implying they were done by households and small businesses.

The ongoing growth in the adoption of solar panels on homes, commercial and public buildings could also mean that distribution network operators (DNOs) might need to reassess how they monitor the UK’s final mile electrical distribution networks to manage possible spikes and dips in voltage, caused by surplus solar energy being imported back to the grid.

David Mills, head of consulting at EA Technology, said, “The nationwide increase in solar PV deployments during 2025 is a UK renewable energy success story that is making a real difference in terms of cutting CO2 emissions and reducing energy bills for households and companies who install them.

“The task for DNOs comes from household and workplace solar PV systems that are now exporting the surplus energy they generate back to the grid. The low voltage (LV) network transporting this energy was originally designed to carry electricity in one direction only, from the substation to the endpoint like a house or business.”

Currently there is around 22GW of solar capacity, including 6.3 GW on domestic rooftops, but the total needs to double by 2030 to hit Government targets. The Government’s new £15bn “Warm Homes Plan” is part of the Government’s desire to accelerate the programme, but even so, large solar farms will also be required.

Mills added, “This level of insight will be crucial in the next 12 months and beyond as DNOs upgrade their networks to keep pace with increased demand due to electrification and the net-zero transition in the most cost-efficient way.”

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