Solar Habitat 2025 is the UK’s most comprehensive ecological study of solar farms, offering new insight into how solar energy and nature can thrive side by side.

Drawing on data from 124 solar sites across the country, the report explores how well-managed solar farms are becoming important habitats for wildlife. From wildflowers and hedgerows to butterflies, birds, and mammals, the findings show that solar farms, when designed and maintained with biodiversity in mind, can make a meaningful contribution to nature recovery.

This third edition of the Solar Habitat series tracks ecological trends over time, highlighting best practices in land management, monitoring, and habitat creation. It also features case studies and innovations from across the sector, offering practical guidance for developers, landowners, and decision-makers.

📥 Download the full report to explore the data, stories, and recommendations shaping the future of solar land use in the UK.

The post Solar Habitat 2025 appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

The solar and battery storage industries are delivering significant economic benefits across the UK. This report explores the substantial contribution these sectors make to job creation, economic growth, and energy security.

With ambitious solar deployment goals set for 2035, investment in these technologies is driving regional development, supporting local businesses, and strengthening the UK’s transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

Key insights include:
• Current and projected job numbers in the solar and battery storage industry.
• The total economic contribution to the UK economy in terms of GDP and investment.
• The role of these technologies in energy security and affordability.
• Policy recommendations to maximise the sector’s potential.

As the UK scales up to meet its 60GW solar target by 2030, understanding the economic impact of solar and storage is essential to ensuring continued growth and prosperity.

📥 Download the full report to explore the latest findings and policy insights.

The post The Economic Impact of Solar and Battery Storage appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

Did you know that 53% of people believe solar farms can actually improve local biodiversity? Or that access to the national grid is the primary factor in solar farm locations—a fact only 10% of respondents were aware of?

These are just some of the insights revealed in “2025 – Support Continues to Grow for Solar”, a new report developed by Solar Energy UK in partnership with Copper Consultancy. Based on a nationally representative survey of over 2,000 adults, the findings show a clear and growing shift in public support for solar farms and their role in delivering clean, affordable energy.

The report explores how solar energy is transforming local communities through:

• Affordable energy solutions
• Clean power generation
• Potential biodiversity improvements
• Strategic development opportunities

Whether you’re a developer, community leader, policymaker, or engaged citizen, this report offers essential insights into public perception that can shape better solar projects, more informed policy, and stronger community engagement strategies.

The post Support Continues to Grow for Solar appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

As stewards of the countryside, the agricultural sector has shaped our rural environment and communities for generations. UK farms have long been intrinsic to the nation’s food security and today, they are also on the front line of tackling wider issues such as biodiversity, environmental protection and global warming.

However, a series of geo-political crises and uncertainties – inflation, the war in Ukraine, extreme weather and the Pandemic – have created unprecedented challenges for UK farmers. Heavy rainfall and cool summer temperatures have exacerbated an already precarious situation this year, delivering a low yielding harvest, made worse by economic instability and escalating costs. On the ground, these conditions have made it challenging to even get tractors and livestock into waterlogged fields. As a result, we have seen the culmination of a “perfect storm” of crises, which are pushing farm margins to the brink and putting up prices for everyday staples, such as bread.

This Farming Sustainably Report builds on SEUK’s Farming Factsheet, produced with the assistance of Dr Jonathan Scurlock, NFU Chief Adviser on Renewable Energy and Climate Change, which stressed solar farms “do not in any way present a risk to the UK’s food security,” contrary to false and misleading claims in the media and even those expressed in parliament.

Solar Energy UK Member Author:

Jake Setterfield, Senior Account Director, Meeting Place

The post Farming Sustainably Report appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

The fifth edition of our annual Impact Report 2024: Building a Brighter Future highlights a landmark year for the UK’s energy transition and the continued momentum of the solar and energy storage sector.

With a foreword from Solar Energy UK’s Chief Executive, Chris Hewett, this report reflects on the industry’s record-breaking growth, shifting policy landscape, and the increasing role of solar in delivering a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

2024 marked a historic turning point, with renewable energy surpassing fossil fuels in power generation—a testament to the rapid deployment of solar and storage. We explore key achievements, insights from our working groups, and the progress made by our members and organisation in shaping a future powered by sustainable energy.

As we look ahead, Solar Energy UK remains committed to overcoming challenges, from grid integration to workforce development, ensuring that solar continues to lead the way in the UK’s net zero journey.

The post Impact Report 2024 appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

Written in collaboration with Energy UK and RenewableUK in response to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) fourth round of Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP4) on behalf of the energy generation sector, the Sector Overview 2024 examines climate governance, risk assessments, action plans, and sector interdependencies.

It provides an update on progress in the electricity generation sector’s adaptation to climate change since the third Climate Change Adaptation Report (CCAR3) published in 2021. The scope of the report has been expanded to include solar energy and for the first time includes input from both Solar Energy UK and RenewableUK. Key climate risks identified include extreme temperatures, high winds, lightning, and flooding. The report demonstrates the strong engagement in climate risk reporting from the members of each trade association and recommends that adaptation reporting remains voluntary in future rounds and suggests a simplified reporting template and clearer alignment of reporting frameworks by Defra.

The post A sector overview 2024 appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

The following document provides guidance on community engagement practices for proposed projects – emphasising the importance of consulting councils, holding public events, and utilising project websites for information dissemination and feedback collection.

The post Community Engagement Good Practice Guidance appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

In an era where the race for clean, secure, and affordable energy is paramount, the Solar and Energy Storage Manifesto sets forth a vision to transition the United Kingdom towards a sustainable energy future. With insights from Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, this manifesto underscores the critical importance of renewable energy in tackling the climate crisis, reducing dependency on fossil fuels, and fostering economic growth.

As public support for environmental action remains strong amidst rising energy costs and a cost-of-living crisis, the manifesto calls on the next government to lead with clear ambition. By 2030, the UK must scale up to 50GW of solar and 30GW of zero-carbon energy storage to meet climate targets and ensure energy security.

The manifesto outlines five pivotal actions to empower the solar and energy storage industries:

1. Embrace UK Solar.
2. Bring the benefits of solar and storage to new homes.
3. Turbo-charge the network for net zero.
4. Build skills for British green jobs.
5. Implement a renewables-first approach to market reform.

Join us in advocating for a renewable energy future that brings down energy bills, creates jobs, and invigorates the UK economy.

Together, we can light the way to a greener, more sustainable tomorrow.

The post Solar & Energy Storage Manifesto appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

Monitoring solar farms across the UK has needed more consistency for too long, hindering our ability to draw meaningful comparisons between sites. In response to this challenge, Solar Energy UK, in collaboration with Lancaster University, Clarkson & Woods, and Wychwood Biodiversity, spearheaded the introduction of a standardised approach to biodiversity monitoring on solar farms.

This pioneering standardisation initiative has transformed data collection practices and paved the way for a more comprehensive understanding of ecological trends within solar farm environments. It’s a significant step forward in our collective efforts to manage solar farms effectively.

The inaugural Solar Habitat report, published in May 2023, marked a pivotal moment in our journey. It shed light on ecological trends across 37 meticulously monitored sites in 2022. Building upon this foundation, our latest report continues this crucial work, collating data from 87 sites surveyed throughout 2023.

The substantial increase in data collection in this year’s report strengthens our ability to discern trends between management approaches and biodiversity. From botany to invertebrates, birds, and mammals, our structured surveys and incidental observations reveal the complex relationships shaping biodiversity within solar farms.

While direct year-on-year comparisons are limited, accumulating data over time promises to illuminate temporal trends, management impacts, and changes in biodiversity as sites mature. With periodic reviews to refine our standardised methodology, our reports are indispensable tools for site managers, policymakers, ecologists, and local authorities in effective solar farm management.

Despite representing a mere 6% of the 1,400 solar farms operating in the UK, the 87 sites surveyed in 2023 provide a vital glimpse into the broader ecological landscape. As demand for monitoring grows, so will the number of sites and contributing ecological consultancies, fueling our quest for a deeper understanding of biodiversity on solar farms.

The post Solar Habitat 2024: Ecological Trends on Solar Farms in the UK appeared first on Solar Energy UK.

The fourth edition of our annual “Impact Report 2023: Green Revolution” reflects on how Solar Energy UK continues to drive growth and innovation, leading the way towards a sustainable and renewable energy future.

With a foreword from Solar Energy UK’s Chief Executive Chris Hewett, the report delves into the transformative year of 2023, providing an overview of key achievements, insights from all our working groups, our team’s work and progress made by our members and organisation in the solar and energy storage industry.

The post Impact Report 2023 appeared first on Solar Energy UK.