A look at the largest-scale solar projects across the UK

The UK now generates more electricity from solar than ever before. In 2025, the UK added a record 2.6 GW of solar, bringing total capacity to 21.6 GW. Output is also closing in on record levels. Forecasts for solar in 2026 show no signs of slowing, with 50% YoY growth expected. Both utility-scale and rooftop solar experienced substantial upticks, with the latter supported by governmental measures to incentivize the installation of domestic clean tech, primarily solar PV, battery energy storage systems, and heat pumps.

The state of solar energy in the UK

Solar hasn’t yet caught up to wind in overall share, but the queue of approved projects suggests it won’t stay behind for long. There are now 1,377 PV farms in operation throughout the UK and 1.9 million domestic installations.

With over 3500 either under construction or awaiting construction, there is a substantial solar pipeline in place. Several blue-chip asset managers have committed billions to solar and other renewables through 2030, most of them channeled into active projects with secured sites, transmission plans, and construction phases already scheduled.

To tackle this, the UK government is in the process of overhauling its grid connection process through the new Gate 1 and Gate 2 systems. Under the reform, projects that can prove both readiness (such as secured land and planning progress) and strategic alignment with national energy goals receive a Gate 2 offer, including a confirmed connection date, while less mature or misaligned projects fall into Gate 1, receiving only indicative access and no fixed timeline.

Approved by Ofgem in 2025 and led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), the change replaces a “first-come, first-served” queue with a “first ready and needed, first connected” approach intended to remove stalled projects and prioritise delivery of clean power.

A new wave of large-scale solar

Let’s take a quick look at five major projects leading the latest round of solar buildouts in the UK, ranging from consented to operational. Cleve Hill Solar Park

Occupying a stretch of the north Kent coast adjacent to the Swale Estuary, the 373-MW Cleve Hill Solar Park began commercial operations on 1 July 2025  and has started delivering clean electricity to roughly 100,000 homes. It offsets an estimated 142,000 metric tons of CO2 annually and sets a precedent for UK solar projects by pairing high-capacity generation with immediate grid contribution.

This mid-sized commissioned plant (developed by Hive Energy and Wirsol Energy with backing from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners) includes 550,000 ground-mounted modules spread across 360 hectares.

Construction began in early 2023, and the solar portion quickly came online in summer 2025. 150 MW of Battery systems are currently being built and should be completed by early 2026. The delivery team is currently finalizing an Emergency Response Plan that will define safety protocols for the plant’s BESS systems.

Sunnica Solar PV Park

Sunnica is a 500 MW solar project spanning 2,400 acres across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, in sections near West Row, Mildenhall, Worlington, and Newmarket.

The developer, Sunnica Limited, based in Aylesbury, estimates that it will take £600 million to complete the installation. The project is currently in the post-decision phase, with its application granted on 12 July 2024.

Once operational, the plant will generate enough power for 172,000 homesand is expected to remain active for 40 years. The land will be restored for agricultural use after decommissioning.

Planning materials, approval documents, and site maps are now viewable on thePlanning Inspectorate’s project page. Detailed layouts for Sunica West and Sunica East are also available for the public.

One Earth Solar Farm

Located near the River Trent, One Earth Solar Farm is a 740 MW ground-mounted PV project with integrated battery storage. It will connect to the grid at High Marnham (the site of a former coal-fired power station) and supply low-carbon electricity to over 200,000 homes. PS Renewables is at the helm of the project.

Because it exceeds 50 MW, One Earth qualifies as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and is now under formal recommendation. Commercial operation is targeted before 2030.

Botley West Solar Farm

Botley West Solar Farm is a 1400-hectare ground-mounted solar farm located near West Oxfordshire’s biodiversity-rich Farmoor Reservoir. Rated at 840 MW, it will connect to a new National Grid substation and supply enough electricity to power around 330,000 homes.

The project is currently in the recommendation stage, with the consent decision due by mid-2026.

Photovolt Development Partners owns the project and has committed to delivering a minimum 70% biodiversity net gain, backed by a detailed Landscape and Ecology Masterplan. The site’s layout has recently been updated to widen buffer zones near homes and buildings, and new footpaths and cycle routes have been added to encourage public access.

Queequeg Renewables Solar PV Park

London-based Queequeg Renewables is developing a 1,300 MW solar PV project using single-axis trackers and bifacial crystalline modules.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026, and if all goes according to plan, the project will reach commercial operation in 2028. This installation will be among Queequeg Renewables’ largest to date.

Building forward

The UK wants to unhook its grid from fossil fuel imports, curb rising energy bills for the average household, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

But the UK government has said that it wants  63.7% of UK generation to come from clean sources by 2030.

Could technology shave years off the buildout? Following the government’s recent £4.3 million funding for experimental solar, ambitious next-wave solar R&D was pushed out to British universities. Winning projects included Cambridge, where researchers are working on ultra-lightweight panels for space applications, and Queen Mary University, which is building a wireless power transfer system that could beam orbital solar (solar energy harvested in orbit) back to Earth.

Space-based solar is still experimental for now, but back here at home, developers are wasting no time driving piles and stringing cables.

Beyond the big builds, the national rooftop revolution policy is on a mission to triple rooftop solar capacity within five years by making use of overlooked rooftop real estate. This uptick in solar-friendly policies and new technologies is embedding solar in the UK grid’s long-range planning.