Over the last 15 years, solar PV has grown in popularity with a significant number of installations being recorded for the last 10 years. There has subsequently been a big increase in 2022 which continued to climb in 2023 to even higher levels. For example, Essex had 1,053 solar PV systems installed in 2015 with a significant increase to 3,456 in 2022 and then 4,513 in 2023.
A similar picture has occurred across England with a sharp increase in installations in 2015 to 28,427 followed by a second large increase in 2022 to 94,571 installations per year.
In 2023 England had 132,173 solar PV installations.
Where in England is the most popular for solar PV?
So where in England is the most popular for solar PV? As you may have guessed the highest proportions of installations are taking place in the South of England, although increases are being seen across the country.
The regions with the highest proportion of households with solar panel installations are the South West, closely followed by the East of England. However, the highest number of installations is in the South East even though the proportion of households only has them in third place.
| Region | MCS Certified Installations Total | % of Households with Solar PV Installations |
|---|---|---|
| South West | 78,574 | 2.92% |
| East of England | 71,076 | 2.70% |
| South East | 94,298 | 2.48% |
| East Midlands | 49,405 | 2.42% |
| North East | 19,863 | 1.69% |
| West Midlands | 40,413 | 1.66% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 39,759 | 1.53% |
| North West | 48,550 | 1.45% |
| London | 25,653 | 0.75% |
The top 10 Local Authorities for solar PV installations in England by penetration of households is led by Boston in the East Midlands with 6.78%, second place goes to Souths Hams in the South West region, and South Cambridgeshire for the East of England in third place with 5.93%.
| Local Authority | MCS Certified Installations Total | % of Households with Solar PV Installations |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1,993 | 6.78% |
| South Hams | 2,446 | 6.22% |
| South Cambridgeshire | 3,973 | 5.93% |
| Mid Suffolk | 2,558 | 5.77% |
| North Devon | 2,348 | 5.44% |
| Babergh | 2,120 | 5.27% |
| Winchester | 2,619 | 5.07% |
| Mid Devon | 1,784 | 5.01% |
| Torridge | 1,513 | 4.96% |
| West Devon | 1,193 | 4.81% |
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What level of penetration is being achieved by domestic Solar PV installations?
In England, the percentage of households with solar PV is 1.94% which equates to 467,591 installations.
In our area of Essex and South-East UK, there have been 16,297 installations which equates to solar PV penetration levels between 0.82% in Harlow through to 3.87% in Maldon.
| Region | Total Solar PV Installations | % of households with Solar Panel installations |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire | 11,274 | 2.91-5.93% |
| Essex | 16,297 | 0.82-3.87% |
| Hertford | 9,102 | 0.82-3.36% |
| London | 25,653 | 0.04-1.28% |
| Suffolk | 12,248 | 2.10-5.77% |
| Surrey | 11,620 | 1.73-3.19% |
The neighbouring regions to Essex have also seen increases in solar PV installations with differing household penetration levels. Cambridgeshire has the highest proportion of households with solar PV installed ranging from Huntingdonshire at 2.91% to South Cambridgeshire at 5.93%. This is closely followed by Suffolk with similarly high levels of installations.
The lowest penetration of households with solar PV is in London with Kingston upon Thames having only 1.28% through to the City of London at a mere 0.04%, yet London has the highest number of installations by region with more than double some areas due to household density.
Hertford and Surrey have similar penetration levels of solar PV installations as Essex with slightly lower actual install numbers in comparison.
Why is solar PV increasing in popularity?
There are several reasons why solar PV is becoming more popular, these are some of the reasons:
- Increased understanding of solar PV has made it a more acceptable technology to a broader audience and many of the common misconceptions have been demystified.
- The increase in demand for solar PV and technology advancements have made installations accessible for more households as the cost of installations is more affordable.
- Increased energy bills and a drive to reduce energy consumption have driven a lot of household motivation for solar PV.
- There has also been an increase in households that want to reduce their carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuel which has created more demand for solar PV.
Interested in joining the growing number of solar PV households?
If you are interested in installing solar PV on your home you will need to find an MCS accredited installer like us. We have extensive experience in delivering solar PV projects in South East England. You can contact us to learn more about how much you could save on your electricity bills and get a no-obligation quote for a solar PV system with or without battery storage.
