UK solar installations peak following Iran war: comment
New govt data shows UK solar installations peak since outbreak of Iran war: comment
By Jess Ralston
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Commenting on new Government data that shows that the UK has seen more than 27,000 solar installations completed in March 2026 - the highest monthly total since 2012 - and total solar capacity in the UK surpassed two million installations (across solar farms and rooftops) for the first time ever [1], Jess Ralston, Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said:
"The Head of the International Energy Agency and the British public seem to be on the same page, clearly viewing net zero technologies like solar as the solution to energy bill volatility and protection from what have essentially been back-to-back oil and gas crises.
"They are voting with their feet on accelerating the clean transition through electrification - the logical way to shield households from oil and gas prices soaring as a result of conflict thousands of miles away. Once we have installed solar panels or wind turbines, the wind and sun are free, but we will increasingly need to pay other countries for oil and gas as the North Sea continues its inevitable decline, with or without new drilling."
Notes to editors:
1. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-photovoltaics-deployment
For more information or for interview requests:
George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, t: 020 8156 5305, m: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net