PVTIME – Provisional data released by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) confirms that the country’s cumulative solar PV capacity reached 21.8GW by the end of January 2026. This capacity is distributed across around 1.951 million systems. In January, 131MW of new capacity was added, which is below the 339MW recorded in January 2025. All data remains subject to revision.
Statistics from the UK’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) demonstrate strong performance in the small-scale distributed PV market. January saw the installation of 17,154 small-scale systems (≤50kW), the second-highest monthly total on record. This figure is just 521 fewer than the peak set in January 2025, indicating an upturn in the domestic and rooftop PV market ahead of the official launch of a new round of subsidy policies.
However, meeting the UK government’s target of achieving at least 45GW of solar PV capacity by 2030 will require significant further progress. This will involve accelerating rooftop PV installations and continuing to expand utility-scale solar project deployment.
To support this growth, the UK government has introduced the Warm Homes Plan. This £20 billion initiative provides cash grants and government-guaranteed loans to facilitate solar and energy storage installations. The plan also intends to revise building regulations so that solar PV systems become a standard feature in all new homes in England. Utility-scale solar is expected to grow substantially in 2026, with numerous Contracts for Difference (CfD) projects approaching their grid connection deadlines. The UK currently has 23 CfD solar projects, three of which began operating in January 2026.
Although domestic PV systems lead in terms of quantity, they account for only around 30% of the country’s total installed capacity. CfD project capacity has grown rapidly, increasing from 23MW at the end of 2024 to 546MW by the end of 2025. Their share of total installed capacity is set to rise further as grid connections accelerate in 2026.
The UK is well-placed to meet its 2026 solar PV installation targets. This is supported by policy drivers, a buoyant domestic market, and concentrated grid connections for utility-scale solar plants, despite a year-on-year decline in new installations in January.
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