10 Million Solar Roofs for Net Zero?

How many solar homes does the UK need for net zero?

Does the UK need 10 million solar homes for net zero? THE TARGET: The Committee on Climate Change Sixth Carbon Budget (theccc.org.uk) outlines pathways requiring 10-15 million UK homes with solar by 2050. National Grid ESO Future Energy Scenarios (nationalgrideso.com) project 2.5-4M by 2030, 10-15M by 2050 under 'System Transformation'. CURRENT STATE: 1.3M homes (2026). Installation rate: ~150,000/yr. AT CURRENT RATE: 1.3M + (150K × 24 years) = 4.9M by 2050. SHORTFALL: 5-10 million homes. TO HIT 10M BY 2050: Need 350,000-400,000 installations/yr — more than DOUBLE current rates. WHAT'S NEEDED: More installers (currently 4,500 MCS-certified, need 8,000-10,000). Lower costs (prices must continue falling 1-3%/yr). Policy support (0% VAT permanent, expanded grants). Mandatory solar on new builds (Future Homes Standard helps). Renter/flat solutions (community solar, building-level installations). INVESTMENT: At £7,000 average: 10M installations = £70 billion total investment. Spread over 25 years: £2.8 billion/year. Returns: ~£8 billion/year in energy savings at current prices. Sources: CCC Sixth Carbon Budget (theccc.org.uk), National Grid ESO FES (nationalgrideso.com), MCS, BEIS.