2026 in set to be a record-breaking year for UK rooftop solar installations, according to MCS and Solar Energy UK.
UK rooftop solar installations are on track for a record-breaking year in 2026, driven by data from the certification body MCS and Solar Energy UK. The country has already recorded 207,619 MCS-certified installations this year, surpassing the previous annual peak of 203,697 that stood from 2011 to 2025. Although last year finished with 269,195 installations, the trade association notes that maintaining the current pace would push 2026 totals to 300,000 systems.
The cumulative total of MCS-certified solar installations across the UK has now surpassed 2.1 million. While the initial milestone of one million systems required more than a decade from January 2009 to July 2019, the second million was reached in approximately seven years by April 2026. Solar Energy UK projects that the country could achieve three million installations within the next three years.
MCS tracking covers small-scale properties including residences, commercial businesses, schools, and village halls, while omitting larger commercial sites like factories, supermarkets, and warehouses. March 2026 established a new monthly high-water mark for small-scale solar deployments with 28,861 additions.
Growth in the sector stems from elevated energy costs and supportive government regulations. Recent conflicts, including the war in Iran earlier in the year following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, triggered surging energy expenses and pushed regulator Ofgem's price cap upward. Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, noted that expensive natural gas dependence keeps bills high, making solar systems an effective long-term solution to reduce costs.
New-build construction standards are also bolstering the sector, with government figures indicating that 55,773 newly constructed homes in England incorporated solar during the first half of 2026, accounting for 58% of total construction in that timeframe. This proportion has grown continuously from 16% in 2021 to 42% in the final quarter of 2024.
Hewett emphasized the increasing significance of the new-build market for the rooftop solar industry, pointing to upcoming policies such as the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard in England, alongside Wales implementing functional requirements for solar installations on new buildings, renovations, and new roofs.
Originally reported by Solar Power Portal on Sep 16, 2026.
