The addition of 730 megawatts of solar power in the UK in 2021 means 2021 "could be the most important year for the UK solar industry to date," according to data from solar energy UK, the UK's solar industry body.

The UK will add 369 MW of new residential PV in 2021, the highest increase in new residential PV since the 869 MW recorded in 2015. This historic figure includes substantial subsidies, while household systems installed across the UK in 2021 are unsubsidised.

In fact, all three major market segments - residential, industrial and commercial, and large-scale projects have experienced steady, unsubsidized growth, indicating that the UK solar market is finally maturing.

By the end of December 2021, the UK had installed 14.6GW of solar power, of which more than 5GW were residential systems.