The summer of 2025 has been one of the hottest in recent memory, with multiple heatwaves reminding us of the urgency of climate change. Yet all that sunshine has also had a measurable upside. By mid-August, Britain had already generated more solar electricity than in the whole of 2024. Output has surpassed 14 terawatt hours, enough to power more than 5 million homes for a year, and at peak times solar is now supplying close to 40% of national demand.
This rapid growth is transforming how energy is produced and consumed across the UK. It also raises important questions for housing developers and housing associations.
In many areas of the South East and Midlands, large solar farms have become a contentious issue. Local communities often resist the loss of greenfield land, and planning applications are attracting high levels of scrutiny.
By contrast, rooftop solar makes use of space that already exists on buildings. It avoids the land-take concerns that make large-scale solar controversial, while delivering clean energy directly where it is needed. From a planning and community acceptance perspective, rooftop integration is usually the more straightforward path.
For developers, rooftop solar is not without its challenges. Panel installations add to construction budgets at a time when cost control is critical. Margins on housing schemes are often tight, and the additional outlay can be difficult to justify if the value is not clear. Yet there are also tangible benefits. Rooftop solar can:
Policy momentum and grid investment mean that solar is likely to become a standard feature of residential development in the years ahead. For developers and housing associations, the opportunity lies in integrating panels intelligently by ensuring they add value without undermining viability.
At Osborne Architects, we see rooftop solar as one part of a broader shift in housing delivery. Our role is to help clients balance design ambition, regulatory requirements and commercial reality, so that sustainable solutions can be adopted pragmatically and at scale.
