The Government has published its industry-backed strategy to accelerate the scale and deployment of solar energy throughout the UK. This article examines the key proposals, particularly the Government's push for a "rooftop revolution" to deploy solar across domestic, commercial and public sector buildings.
Published on 30 June 2025, the Solar Roadmap outlines the Government's plan to take solar deployment from its current 18GW of installed capacity to meet the policy target of 45-47GW by the end of the decade.
Fuelled by a desire for the UK to become a clean energy superpower, solar was identified by the Government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan as being a key power source that can be deployed cheaply, quickly, and in a wide variety of locations. The Solar Roadmap sets out a number of measures to support and accelerate the deployment of solar generation in the UK, including the following.
Benefits of solar power
Solar power is already well-established, with over 1.5 million domestic solar installations in the UK already. With an emphasis on cheaper bills, Government estimates that an average household could save around £500 a year on their energy bills by installing rooftop solar.
Deployment (whether ground mount projects or rooftop) can also be rolled out at a significantly quicker speed than other generation technologies, and with reducing technology and manufacturing costs, solar energy is highlighted as one of the cheapest forms of electricity generation.
Cheaper bills are not the only benefit – the Solar Roadmap intends to support the creation of a robust supply chain for the UK's solar market, stimulating innovation, manufacturing and investment in the sector, and creating a skilled workforce of well-paid jobs across the UK.
The new normal for New Builds?
The Government has confirmed that the Future Homes Standard, which will be published later this year, will include requirements for solar panels to be installed on the majority of new build homes.
With commitments to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of this Parliament, solar deployment is intended to be the default, aiming to lower energy bills for households across the UK.
For new non-domestic buildings, the Government is currently considering feedback from the consultation on the Future Buildings Standard and we are expecting a response in Autumn.
Existing homes – rooftop retrofit
With upfront costs often a barrier to deployment, the Government will invest £13.2bn through the Warm Homes Plan to incentivise and subsidise measures such as solar panels, heat pumps, batteries, insulation for domestic households. Further details are expected as part of the Autumn Spending Review.
For the rental market, the Government is conducting a study on the feasibility and safety of plug-in solar technology, which could be used on balconies, garden sheds or terraces.
For social landlords, the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) provides the opportunity to install solar as part of wider measures to bring social housing stock currently below EPC band C up to that standard.
The Government is also planning to consult on proposals to introduce a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard, specifically for the social rented sector, which may further drive solar deployment. This forms part of the wider Energy Performance of Buildings framework reform, which will examine existing EPC metrics.
Warehouses and other Commercial Rooftops – exploring rooftop potential
Commercial rooftop space presents a significant opportunity for solar deployment - with estimates that the UK's 20% largest warehouses alone could support 15GW of rooftop solar capacity.
Not only can landlords and tenants benefit from reduced electricity costs, but rooftop solar offers new revenue streams, particularly with the rise in demand for corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs). Solar deployment also creates energy security and other potential revenue streams for stakeholders, particularly where combined with flexibility solutions such as battery storage, and/or where on-site operations can be shifted to match the generation profile of the solar installation, or to exploit other market opportunities.
Commercial leases will require careful review (and potentially variations), from both landlords and tenants, to determine who has responsibility for installation, operation, and maintenance costs, and who receives and benefits from the generated electricity.
Carparks – a new source of revenue?
The Government has separately launched a Call for Evidence on requiring the installation of solar canopies on new outdoor carparks, and exploring deployment on existing car parks.
Car park owners, including supermarkets, retail parks and offices, could benefit from cheaper electricity, localised power for EV charging points or additional revenue streams through selling surplus electricity. Depending on the site location, private wire PPAs could also be negotiated with nearby businesses.
Great British Energy – leading the charge
The newly established Great British Energy's first project was announced in March 2025, with investment to install rooftop solar on around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites across the UK, and energy savings will be reinvested in schools and the NHS.
The Solar Roadmap confirms the ambition for Great British Energy to support the rollout of rooftop solar across public sector buildings, and to help fund and progress local community energy projects.
Electricity networks and grid reform
The mass deployment of solar across the UK will require an electricity grid that can support these ambitious targets.
With grid connection reform on the horizon, the Solar Roadmap relies on a joined-up approach across Government to progress with all aspects of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Concluding thoughts
It is clear that solar generation will play a key role in the UK's transition to a low carbon energy system. Although the market is not without challenges, the proposed measures set out in the Solar Roadmap provide tangible steps towards overcoming these barriers in order to enable to UK to realise its policy ambitions.
Our Energy and Sustainability team has experience working in the solar sector over the past 15 years, advising funders, developers and energy consumers on a wide variety of project structures, from rooftop schemes in the domestic and non-domestic sectors, through to large scale ground mounted projects.
We have also seen a rise in recent years of microgrid solutions that include solar technologies as part of a package of measure to create a low carbon, flexible grid for the benefit of those connected to it. We understand the key structures, commercial considerations and challenges that can arise when implementing a solar or microgrid project, entering into Power Purchase Agreements, and tackling the highly regulated energy sector, and we provide practical and hands-on advice to assist our clients in meeting their aims.
If you are considering installing solar generation or would like to discuss the Solar Roadmap or any of the above in further detail, please get in touch with our Energy and Sustainability team.
