The U.K. has recorded more new solar power installations in the first half of 2026 than in any six-month period since 2011, reports The Guardian.
U.K. government data shows that the country added 142,536 solar installations in the first six months of the year, putting it on track to exceed 2025’s record solar additions. This includes large ground-mounted solar farms, but most of the new solar installations are on household rooftops, which still only make up slightly less than a third of the country’s total solar power capacity. As the U.S.-Israel war on Iran drives up the cost of fossil fuels, solar presents an attractive, cheaper alternative.
The U.K. offers grants to homeowners in an effort to encourage them to replace their gas boilers with low-carbon heating alternatives. The total number of applications for the boiler upgrade program reached 4,512 last month, up by 21% compared with June last year, says The Guardian.
In the U.S., similar subsidies and programs, which reached a peak under the administration of President Joe Biden, have been substantially dismantled by President Donald Trump. Further, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill introduced new restrictions on the import of solar technology, especially from China, which remains the biggest manufacturer of panels and other solar technology. According to the Solar Energies Industry Association, U.S. solar capacity additions will be flat from 2026 through 2031, despite the need for more power supply in the U.S.
Solar Panels on Balconies
By the end of August, U.K. residents who own or rent apartments will be eligible to join the millions of people across Europe using “balcony solar panels” to lower their bills, according to legislation passed this month.
The balcony solar movement took off about four years ago, when households in Ukraine adopted hang-able, plug-in solar panels (see photo) to work around Russia’s attacks on their power plants, according to CleanTechnica. It has since spread across Europe, and is now finding a market in the U.S. The Illinois state legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 3104, which proposes to remove hurdles to balcony installations, including legislation for devices that inject electricity into a household system without the need for authorization from their utility company, and property owner restrictions on tenants, and homeowner association restrictions on members regarding the devices.
