Britain's solar energy output reached new heights this week, with records broken on two consecutive days. On Monday, solar farms generated 14.1GW of electricity at lunchtime, surpassing the previous high of 14GW set in July last year. The record was then broken again on Tuesday afternoon, when generation climbed to 14.4GW.
The new highs come as the government approved plans for the UK's biggest solar farm, the Springwell project in Lincolnshire. The facility is expected to power the equivalent of 180,000 homes a year at maximum capacity. Ministers said the decision supports efforts to boost homegrown low-carbon energy and reduce reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets.
Springwell is the 25th large-scale clean energy project approved by the Labour government since it took office in 2024. Together, these projects could generate enough electricity for up to 12.5 million homes. The approval follows that of the Tillbridge solar farm, also in Lincolnshire, six months ago.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: 'We are driving further and faster for clean homegrown power that we control to protect the British people and bring down bills for good.' He highlighted solar as one of the cheapest forms of power, crucial for energy independence.
The solar records come less than a fortnight after wind power hit a new high of 23.9GW, driving gas-fired generation to a two-year low. The electricity system operator is preparing to run the grid without gas for short periods as soon as this summer.
