British and French solar generation hit new records
British and French solar generation hit new records
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16 July 2025
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UK solar generation peaked at 16GW on Tuesday 8 July
This surpassed its previous record on 6 April
France also set a new record last week, sending energy prices below zero
UK solar generation hit a new record on Tuesday 8 July, with peak generation recorded at 16gW, according to the University of Sheffield, with photovoltaic power supplying 39% of demand on that day.
Carbon Brief also said that the solar electricity generated in 2025 to date has avoided the need to import gas costing around £600m, which would have released 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide when burned.
According to Solar Energy UK, maximum instantaneous generation is normally encountered in the middle of a spring day, when bright sunlight coincides with cooler conditions. But the pace of the solar energy sector’s expansion, combined with sunny weather has upturned this assumption.
NESO fuel mix data for Tuesday 8 July – Source: Solar Energy UK
France also set a new record last week, sending energy prices below zero, with solar generation hitting more than 19.5GW. It also supplied almost 40% of energy demand.
Chris Hewett, chief executive, Solar Energy UK, said: “The new records underline just how quickly the solar sector is growing, both at home and abroad. We estimate that well over 21.5GW of capacity is now in place in the UK, a figure expected to more than double by the end of the decade, delivering secure, clean, green and – crucially – cheaper power for us all.”
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Tamara BirchNewsletters and sponsored content editor
Tamara is a journalist with more than six years experience writing about environmental topics. This includes advising small businesses on cost-effective ways tom become more sustainable, from installing to solar panels and heat pumps and reducing waste. She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs. Now, she’s using this experience to advise homeowners on the benefits of installing low-carbon technologies. She is also qualified in offering innovative initiatives to improve sustainability practices in businesses, from advertising to marketing and publishing.
Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
