Devon solar boom 2026: why the county leads the UK

Devon has quietly become the solar capital of the UK. More than one in ten Devon households now generate at least some of their own electricity - more than double the national average - and the number is still climbing fast.

Why Devon, and why now

Three things have come together. First, Devon simply gets more usable sun than most of the country, with the south coast around Torbay and the South Hams among the sunniest places in Britain. Second, the county has an unusually large pool of installers: around 193 solar companies serve Devon, roughly 151 of them MCS-certified - nearly double the number serving neighbouring Cornwall.

Third, Devon households tend to own their roofs and stay put. That combination - good sun, plenty of qualified installers, and homeowners who plan to be around to enjoy the payback - is close to ideal for solar.

What the numbers say

• Over 10% of Devon households now self-generate, against a UK average closer to 4-5%
• Typical domestic systems are 4kW to 6kW, costing roughly £5,000 to £9,000 installed
• Adding battery storage pushes a typical install to £9,000 to £14,000
• Payback periods of 7 to 10 years are common, faster if you add an EV or heat pump

What it means if you live in Devon

The boom is good news, but it makes choosing an installer harder, not easier. A bigger market means more cowboys alongside the genuinely excellent local firms. The single most useful filter is MCS certification: it is required to access the Smart Export Guarantee and is a reliable baseline of competence.

That is exactly why we built Devon Green Trades - so you can see, town by town, which installers are MCS-certified and what other accreditations they hold, without wading through national directories.

The bottom line

Devon's lead in solar is real and growing. If you are weighing up panels, the economics in 2026 are the best they have been - just make sure the name on the quote is one you can verify.