Solar power supplied a record 14.4% of Great Britain's electricity in July, the highest monthly share ever recorded, as households increasingly turn to rooftop panels to cut energy bills. The rise reflects a surge in new solar installations combined with unusually sunny weather, and comes as officials and industry figures describe the UK as entering a "second solar boom" that helps insulate the country from global energy price shocks.

The July figure beat the previous record of 12.4% set in May and was 50% higher than the 9.6% recorded a year earlier, according to National Energy System Operator data. The first half of 2026 saw 142,536 new solar installations, the most in any six-month period since 2011, mostly on household rooftops, putting this year on track to exceed 2025's record additions. The extra generation also helped meet higher demand for air-conditioning and fans during recent heatwaves, with a typical home's rooftop solar powering the equivalent of over five hours of air-conditioning daily during June's peak heat. Notable projects include the 373MW Cleve Hill solar farm in Kent, currently the UK's largest, which will eventually be surpassed by the planned 800MW Springwell solar farm in Lincolnshire, due to begin generating in 2029.