The UK's Photovoltaic Power Generation Reached A Record High in The First Half Of The Year, Reaching 19.1 GW

 

The UK's photovoltaic power generation reached a record high in the first half of the year, reaching 19.1 GW. This 32% increase is driven by a trend towards larger-scale installations.

 

In the first half of 2025, the UK's solar power generation reached a new high. According to data from energy research firm Ember, photovoltaic power generation reached 9.91 terawatt-hours in the first six months of the year, a 32% year-on-year increase, with five consecutive months of record-breaking performance since March. This achievement was driven by 2025 being the sunniest year on record in the UK and the continued growth of photovoltaic installations.

 

The latest statistics released by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) at the same time show that by the end of July, the country's cumulative installed photovoltaic capacity reached 19.1 GW, corresponding to approximately 1.8 million installations, an increase of 1.3 GW compared to July 2024. Of this total, 22,406 new photovoltaic projects, totaling 106 MW of new capacity, were added in July, marking the fourth-highest monthly increase on record. Excluding Northern Ireland, the UK's registered installed capacity on the grid was 18.7 GW.

 

The data also shows that the UK's photovoltaic industry is showing a large-scale energy storage system trend: at least 42% of the capacity (8.1 GW) comes from ground power stations or independent projects, including 15 solar power stations supported by the difference contract mechanism, 13 of which have been put into operation in 2025. Ember further pointed out that large-scale photovoltaics account for nearly half of the new capacity, while this proportion was only 5% from 2010 to 2019. In contrast, the growth of small-scale rooftop photovoltaics has slowed down relatively. As of the end of July, the cumulative capacity of systems below 4 kW was 4 GW, and that of 4-10 kW systems was 1.4 GW. So far this year, the new capacity of the two types of small systems is 258 MW and 226 MW, respectively, and the increments are basically the same.