Solar Panel Installation in Somerset

Somerset is one of the most promising counties in England for solar photovoltaic installations, and the numbers prove it: Somerset was the number one local authority area in the entire UK for new solar installations in 2025, with 3,741 MCS-certified installations recorded in a single year. The UK solar market as a whole is booming — 267,032 rooftop solar systems were installed across the UK in 2025, a 34% increase on 2024 and the highest annual total since the 2011 record, which was itself surpassed by 31%. The South West had 202,859 total solar installations as of March 2025, second only to the South East — and with 2025 confirmed as the sunniest year on UK record (1,622 hours of sunshine), the financial case for solar has never been stronger. With its expansive rural landscapes, strong sunshine hours, and a housing stock dominated by family homes with generous roof areas, Somerset offers ideal conditions for generating clean, renewable electricity. D&R Energy is proud to serve homeowners and businesses across Somerset with MCS-certified solar panel and battery storage systems designed to maximise energy generation and deliver outstanding financial returns.

The South West of England receives the highest solar irradiance in the country, and Somerset sits right at the heart of this solar sweet spot. Systems installed in Somerset consistently generate between 950 and 1,100 kWh per kilowatt peak annually, which is up to 15% more than the national average. For a typical 4.5kWp family solar system, that translates to approximately 4,275 to 4,950 kWh of free electricity every year, enough to cover most of a typical household's annual consumption. When paired with battery storage from GivEnergy or Tesla, homeowners can store surplus daytime generation for use in the evening, pushing bill savings from 30-50% with solar alone to 70-95% with a complete solar and battery system.

Somerset Council, formed in April 2023 from the merger of the county's five former district councils, has inherited and strengthened the climate emergency commitments of its predecessors. The council has set an ambitious net zero target of 2030 for its own operations and is actively promoting renewable energy adoption across the county's 240,000 households. This political commitment to decarbonisation, combined with national incentives including the 0% VAT rate on solar panels (available until at least March 2027) and the Smart Export Guarantee that pays households for surplus electricity exported to the grid, means there has never been a better time for Somerset residents to invest in solar energy.

One of the distinguishing features of Somerset's housing landscape is the significant number of rural properties that are off the mains gas grid. Across the Somerset Levels, the Mendip Hills, the Quantocks, and the Blackdown Hills, thousands of homes rely on oil, LPG, or electric heating, often at a substantial cost premium compared to mains gas. For these properties, a combined solar panel and battery storage system offers genuine energy independence. By generating and storing their own electricity, off-grid homeowners can dramatically reduce their reliance on expensive delivered fuels and insulate themselves against volatile energy prices. When combined with a future heat pump installation, solar plus battery provides a comprehensive decarbonisation pathway that Somerset Council is actively encouraging.

Somerset's housing stock is diverse, ranging from historic stone-built properties in the county's many market towns to modern new-build estates on the outskirts of Taunton and Bridgwater. The county town of Taunton has seen significant residential growth, with major developments at Monkton Heathfield, Nerrols, and Comeytrowe bringing thousands of new family homes to the area. Bridgwater has experienced similar growth driven by the Hinkley Point C construction project. These modern homes, while built to higher energy efficiency standards, still benefit significantly from retrofit solar PV and battery storage.

Somerset's market towns, including Wells, Frome, and Yeovil, feature attractive period properties built from local stone, particularly the honey-coloured Ham stone and the grey Lias limestone that characterise so much of the county's built heritage. Many of these properties have generous south-facing roof slopes that are ideal for solar panel installations. In the Mendip Hills area around Wells and the surrounding villages, properties are often built from Mendip stone and sit within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, requiring a sensitive approach to solar panel design and installation that D&R Energy is well experienced in delivering.

Across the county, semi-detached and detached family homes dominate the housing stock, and these property types are ideally suited to solar PV. A typical 3-4 bedroom semi-detached house in Somerset can accommodate 10 to 14 solar panels, generating enough electricity to cover most of the household's annual consumption. Detached properties, particularly those in rural areas with no shading from neighbouring buildings, often have the roof space for 16 to 18 panels, enabling the installation of our Premium 6.3-7kW package that delivers bill savings of 80-95%. D&R Energy offers free, no-obligation property surveys across Somerset, where our MCS-certified surveyor will assess your roof's suitability and design a system tailored to your property and energy needs.