Solar panels are everywhere now on terraces, semis, and warehouses because more of us are realising the sun can quietly pull its weight. Even with Britain’s love affair with grey skies, solar panels still get the job done. Photovoltaic (PV) cells turn daylight into electricity you can use around the house or at work; on gloomy days, they’ll still tick over, which makes them a surprisingly dependable source of power. If you’re searching for solar panels uk, you’re in good company.
A quick milestone worth a mention: in May 2023 the UK’s first transmission-connected solar farm went live near Bristol. It’s set to generate over 73,000 MWh a year enough for more than 17,300 homes and to displace roughly 20,500 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
The Different Types and how They Work
In the UK you’ll see two main flavours:
Solar PV (photovoltaic) panels make electricity. Each panel holds lots of tiny cells; light hits them, they produce direct current (DC), and an inverter turns that into alternating current (AC) for your sockets or for export to the grid.
Solar thermal panels don’t make electricity they heat water (or a heat-transfer fluid) directly.
Most homes and businesses go for PV to trim electricity bills; thermal suits properties with a strong hot-water demand.
Why UK homeowners are Going solar
Plenty of sensible reasons:
Lower bills. With a 4 kW system, you could save up to £1,200 a year on electricity*.
Cleaner energy. Solar is low-carbon, so you cut reliance on fossil fuels and shrink your footprint.
Get paid for exports. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you for surplus electricity sent back to the grid.
In step with national targets. The UK is aiming for up to 70 GW by 2035 enough to support around 20 million households so you’re very much on the right side of the trend.
Installers across the country. If you’re after a trusted, UK-wide solar company, the market’s mature and ready pop ‘solar panels near me’ or ‘Solar panels installation near me’ into a search and you’ll find accredited local options.
