Great Britain has set a remarkable new solar generation record, achieving 12.2GW on 1 April 2025.
This milestone reflects the rapid growth of the UK’s solar capacity, which has been propelled by supportive government policies, increased public acceptance, and the sunniest March on record.
While this achievement showcases the potential of solar power in the UK’s energy mix, it also highlights significant workforce challenges, with an estimated 60,000 jobs needed in the sector by 2035 and persistent skills gaps threatening future growth.
The record-breaking generation demonstrates that even in a country not known for consistent sunshine, solar power can make a substantial contribution to a clean energy future.
On 1 April 2025, between 12:30 and 13:00, Great Britain reached a new maximum solar generation record of 12.2GW.
This landmark achievement was recorded by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) and represents a significant milestone in the country’s journey toward operating a zero-carbon electricity system for periods during this year.
The record-breaking generation occurred during exceptionally favourable weather conditions, with March 2025 being deemed by the Met Office as the sunniest March since records began in 1910, featuring an impressive 185.8 hours of sunshine throughout the month.
This extended period of sunny weather created ideal conditions for solar power generation across the country’s growing installation base.
For the entire day of 1 April, the Sheffield Solar live PV tracker indicated that solar PV generated a cumulative total of 87.6GWh of renewable energy.
This substantial daily generation demonstrates not just a peak capability but sustained output that made a meaningful contribution to the national grid.
The record-breaking performance had immediate economic impacts as well, with wholesale electricity prices plunging to as low as negative £1.80 per megawatt hour as the flood of solar power entered the grid.
This price effect illustrates how renewable energy at scale can fundamentally alter electricity markets.
Energy analysts have noted that this new record may not stand for long.
With peak solar production typically occurring in the middle of summer and the UK continuing to add new solar capacity, there is a strong possibility that this record will be surpassed later in 2025.
This suggests that we may be entering an era where solar generation records are broken with increasing frequency as capacity expands.
Tracking the growth of UK solar power
The achievement of 12.2GW represents a dramatic evolution in the UK’s solar generation capabilities when viewed in historical context.
Just one day earlier, on 30 March 2025, the UK had nearly broken the previous record with peak generation reaching 11.9GW.
Looking back further to the previous year, 1 April 2024 recorded a peak generation capacity of only 5.71GW, while the highest output for all of 2024 reached 11.5GW on 2 June.
This comparison demonstrates that solar generation capacity has more than doubled year-on-year for the same calendar day.
The long-term trend in UK solar capacity shows even more dramatic growth.
In 2008, the UK had just 22MW of installed solar capacity, producing a mere 17GWh of electricity annually.
By the end of 2023, this had grown to nearly 16GW of capacity generating 13,826GWh, representing 4.8% of total electricity consumption.
This represents a more than 700-fold increase in installed capacity over a 15-year period.
The recent achievement of 12.2GW generation from an installed capacity of over 18GW indicates an effective capacity factor of approximately 68% during peak conditions, which is exceptionally high for solar technology in the UK climate.
The growth pattern of solar power has not been linear
The growth pattern of solar in the UK has not been linear but has seen periods of rapid expansion followed by slower growth.
A significant boost came with the introduction of a feed-in tariff (FIT) in April 2010, which led to a surge in installations.
Although this subsidy scheme closed to new applications in 2019, the continued fall in the cost of photovoltaic panels has maintained the economic viability of new installations.
The current record generation is therefore the culmination of both policy-driven early growth and more recent market-driven expansion.
Understanding what drove the new solar generation record
The achievement of this solar generation record can be attributed to a combination of factors spanning weather conditions, increased capacity, and supportive policy environment.
Most immediately, the exceptional sunshine during March 2025 created ideal conditions for maximising solar output. With 185.8 hours of sunshine, March 2025 was the sunniest March since records began in 1910, providing abundant solar radiation for the country’s PV installations.
However, favourable weather alone would not have been sufficient without the substantial increase in installed capacity.
The UK solar sector recently surpassed the 18GW threshold for installed capacity, providing the physical infrastructure necessary to capture and convert the available sunlight.
This capacity has been built up through both utility-scale solar farms and distributed generation such as residential and commercial rooftop installations.
Between January 2024 and January 2025 alone, there were 200,010 home solar PV installations and 22,667 home battery storage systems installed across the country.
Research from Solar Media Market Research found that around 20% of the 2.3GW of solar deployed across 2024 came from residential rooftop installations, with commercial rooftop installations contributing another 20%.
The policy environment has also been crucial in enabling this growth.
Solar PV in the UK has expanded significantly due to positive policy signals from the Labour government that have supported investors in the country’s energy transition, in contrast to what many in the industry perceived as the Conservatives’ unpredictable approach to renewable support.
The government recently delivered 131 new green infrastructure projects in what’s described as “the biggest round ever with significant numbers for onshore wind, solar and tidal energy”.
Additionally, the Energy Secretary announced an increase in the budget for renewable energy auctions by £500 million to over £1.5 billion, described as a “record budget”.
The workforce behind the UK’s solar expansion
The growth of solar power in the UK has created a significant demand for skilled workers across multiple disciplines.
As of 2020, the solar industry supported around 7,000 jobs in the UK, but this number is projected to increase dramatically to approximately 60,000 jobs by 2035.
This nearly nine-fold increase in employment reflects the ambitious expansion plans for the sector and highlights the importance of developing a skilled workforce to support this growth.
The solar workforce encompasses a diverse range of specialisations.
High-demand roles include:
- Electricians
- Grid connection engineers
- High voltage technicians
- Electrical engineers.
Construction workers, including civil contractors and general laborers, are also essential for building and maintaining solar installations.
Beyond these technical roles, the industry offers opportunities for professionals with skills in architecture, legal services, human resources, computer science, communications, and marketing.
The workforce requirements vary significantly between the construction and operational phases of solar projects.
According to research on Scotland’s solar industry, approximately 82% of the new workforce required will be for construction-related activities, with the remaining 18% needed for operation and maintenance.
While construction jobs are relatively temporary, lasting for the duration of project development, operations and maintenance roles provide more lasting employment opportunities.
This balance between short-term and long-term employment needs presents both challenges and opportunities for workforce development.
The significant growth in residential solar installations also has important implications for the workforce.
With over 200,000 home solar PV installations carried out between January 2024 and January 2025, there is a substantial demand for professionals skilled in designing and installing smaller-scale systems.
These installations are typically carried out by local businesses, creating employment opportunities distributed throughout the country rather than concentrated at large solar farms.
Skills gaps and challenges in the Solar workforce
Despite the promising growth in the solar sector, significant skills gaps threaten to constrain its expansion.
A concerning 81% of renewables employers report struggling to hire workers, compared to 71% in the wider engineering construction industry.
Employers consistently cite a general lack of skills and qualifications as the main barriers to recruitment, with issues around meeting salary expectations also playing a role. This widespread difficulty in finding qualified personnel suggests a fundamental mismatch between the industry’s needs and the available workforce.
The scale of the challenge is substantial, with renewable energy employers expecting their workforce needs to increase by 18% within the next two years alone. More broadly, it’s estimated that 362,000 workers could be needed by 2035 to decarbonise homes alone.
For solar specifically, research indicates that the UK needs an additional 500 qualified electricians each year to realise its solar aspirations.
There is also a significant demand for solar installers, which has grown by 315% and requires a further 6,000 new engineers per year to keep pace with installation needs.
A fundamental issue underlying these shortages is the limited provision of relevant training.
Fewer than one in ten people report receiving any dedicated green skills training at work, with only 7% of people receiving green skills development.
Perhaps more concerning is that less than one in three people (30%) have even heard of “green skills,” indicating a significant awareness gap.
Without widespread recognition of these skills needs and corresponding training opportunities, addressing the workforce shortage will remain challenging.
Several initiatives have been launched to address solar skills gaps
Several initiatives have been launched to address these skills gaps.
Solar Energy UK has created Solar Careers UK, which focuses on developing industry skills and career pathways through training curriculum and resources.
The Mayor of London has established the ‘Solar Skills London’ program to help support residents in finding careers in the solar industry. Additionally, the UK Government’s ‘Powering Up Britain’ paper references Solar Energy UK’s work on ‘bootcamps’ as part of a broader initiative to address workforce skills needs.
The government has also committed to helping individuals currently working in the oil and gas sector transition to renewables via a ‘skills passport’.
Positives outlooks on solar skills gaps
Despite these challenges, there are some positive aspects to the skills situation.
A fully qualified electrician can upskill to install Solar PV, Energy Storage Systems, and other net zero technologies in just a few days.
This suggests that with appropriate short-term training programs, existing tradespeople could quickly transition into solar installation roles.
Electrical apprenticeships in England already incorporate training in low carbon and smart technologies, including Solar PV, helping to prepare the next generation of electricians for roles in the renewable energy sector.
Implications and future outlook
The achievement of a new solar generation record of 12.2GW marks a significant milestone in the UK’s energy transition journey.
This record demonstrates that even in a country not traditionally associated with abundant sunshine, solar power can make a substantial contribution to the energy mix. The record is particularly notable given that it occurred in early April rather than during the height of summer, suggesting that even greater generation peaks may be achieved as the year progresses.
Looking forward, the outlook for solar growth in the UK appears strong. The country is expected to add between 3GW and 3.5GW of new solar capacity in 2025 alone. With 30 new solar applications totalling 1.1GWp added to the UK planning system in December 2024, the pipeline for future projects remains robust. This continued expansion will likely lead to further record-breaking generation achievements in the coming years.
However, the workforce challenges identified present a significant risk to this growth trajectory. Without addressing the skills gaps and expanding training opportunities, the industry may struggle to meet its deployment targets.
The projected need for 60,000 workers in the solar sector by 2035 will require a coordinated approach to workforce development involving government, industry, and education providers. The success of initiatives like Solar Careers UK and Solar Skills London will be crucial in determining whether the UK can build the workforce needed to support its solar ambitions.
As Jess Ralston from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit noted, “Every new solar panel installed in the UK makes us less dependent on gas imports, which is good for our energy independence as well as for stabilising energy bills given the sun offers up its power for free”.
This energy independence benefit, coupled with the economic opportunities created by the growing solar industry, provides compelling reasons to address the workforce challenges and ensure that the UK can fully capitalise on its solar potential. The recent record is not just a technical achievement but a glimpse of what could become a solar-powered future for Britain.
Need help with your solar hiring?
As the UK solar industry continues its remarkable growth trajectory, the demand for skilled professionals is reaching unprecedented levels. With an estimated 60,000 jobs needed in the sector by 2035 and current skills gaps threatening to constrain expansion, finding qualified talent has never been more critical.
At Astute, we specialise in connecting organisations with exceptional technical engineering talent across the Power, Renewables and Nuclear sectors. Our dedicated team understands the unique challenges facing solar employers and can help you:
Access a pool of qualified electricians, grid connection engineers, and high voltage technicians
Find experienced electrical engineers who can quickly upskill to solar technologies
Connect with construction professionals essential for building and maintaining solar installations
Develop recruitment strategies that address both short-term construction and long-term operational needs
Don’t let workforce challenges limit your solar ambitions.
Contact Astute today to discuss how we can support your renewable energy recruitment needs and help power Britain’s clean energy future.
