One in Eight Cornwall Homes Has Solar. Should Yours Be Next?

Cornwall Leads the UK in Solar Panels. Is Your Street Next?

Cornwall has topped a new UK-wide ranking for residential solar panel installations, with more than 31,000 homes now generating their own power from the sun, according to new analysis of government data by energy company E.ON UK.

The figures show 31,024 solar panel systems installed across Cornwall’s approximately 250,500 households, giving the county an adoption rate of around 12%. That means roughly one in eight homes in Cornwall now has solar panels, placing it 1st in the country ahead of Somerset, North Yorkshire and Wiltshire.

How Does Cornwall Compare?

Somerset comes in 2nd place with 24,603 installations across an estimated 250,100 households, an adoption rate of around 10%. North Yorkshire follows in 3rd with 22,983 systems, equating to about one in 12 homes, while Wiltshire records 19,794 installations across 215,100 households, with roughly one in 11 homes now fitted with panels.

Notably, South Cambridgeshire, despite having far fewer households, achieved the highest proportional adoption rate in the top 15, with 11,862 installations across just 67,000 homes, equating to around 18% of households.

The Full Top 15

What About Businesses?

A spokesperson at E.ON UK highlighted that while households are driving much of the current growth, there is significant untapped potential in the commercial sector.

“This data shows the locations with the strongest commitment to renewable energy through solar adoption. Cornwall leads the UK in total solar panel installations with 31,024, reflecting a strong overall uptake, while South Cambridgeshire, with nearly 18% of households equipped, demonstrates how rural communities can achieve exceptionally high adoption rates.

“With households driving much of the current growth, there’s a major opportunity for businesses to follow suit. If every business in Cornwall were fitted with solar panels, the energy produced could power the equivalent of 130.12% of homes in the region, according to our research. In Somerset, that figure rises to 160.77%, showing significant potential for commercial sites to boost local renewable generation.

“Expanding solar adoption across both households and businesses will be key to making the energy transition affordable, sustainable and secure. As technology becomes more accessible and installation costs continue to fall, the path to energy independence is opening for more communities. By investing in solar installations across homes and workplaces alike, we can accelerate the UK’s move toward a cleaner, self-sufficient energy future that brings lower bills, stronger local infrastructure and greater energy security for everyone.”

The data was drawn from GOV.UK installation records and analysed by E.ON UK.