Yorkshire sees 9,700 solar installations this year

A record-breaking 9,700 solar installations were fitted in Yorkshire and the Humber in the first half of this year, the government has said.

According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, this represents enough energy to power the equivalent of up to 16,300 homes.

It builds on the 9,300 solar installations fitted in the same period in 2025.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: "Thousands of families and businesses across Yorkshire are benefiting from solar, helping to bring down their bills, build our county's energy security and put power back into the hands of local people."

York Minster is among the landmarks to be adorned with solar technology.

Alex McCallion, director of works and precinct at the minster, said the £400,000 project was "setting an example and a planning precedent in a restricted heritage environment".

He said: "This system is guaranteed for 30 years, its payback is just under eight years which gives us 22 years of free energy."

Earlier this year, BBC News reported that the government had awarded contracts to a record supply of renewables projects, including 157 solar developments across England, Scotland and Wales.

While welcomed by climate and clean energy groups, some communities faced with large developments have opposed such schemes.

During a visit to York last week, Climate Minister Katie White said the government wanted solar farms to be part of its Clean Power mission but that did not mean "every single farm should go through".

"We need to make sure we're working together, listening to people, but land for solar is a good opportunity for the UK and for farmers," she said.

"And as we've all seen in the summer we've just had, we want to make sure we're using the sun that is there, but also protecting ourselves against future climate change, which we can all see is happening now."

The government is hoping more households will be able to cut energy bills, with plug-in solar panels due to hit shops this week.

The panels are already widely used by households across Europe, with Germany seeing about half a million new devices plugged in every year.

White said: "When the Middle East crisis hit in March we were keen to look at all the options for consumers, so we've fast-tracked a process to bring them forward to market but the number one thing we've been looking at is safety.

"We've had an independent third party look at electrical safety and our standards are going to be higher than the Germans, so as of [this] week you can go to mainstream retailers, they're going to be having these plug-in solar."

The Department for Energy estimates that a typical UK home could save up to £500 a year from installing rooftop solar panels, based on the current energy price cap.

As of June, more than 2.1 million solar installations have been recorded across the UK.

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