UK commercial rooftop solar could match 20 Hinkley Point C stations

A report by Cushman & Wakefield suggests that utilizing all suitable commercial roof space in the UK for solar power could generate as much electricity as 20 Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations. Currently, less than 10% of suitable commercial roof space is used for solar generation, providing between 3GW and 5GW. Unlocking the remaining 90% could provide 60GW, which exceeds ten times the projected UK government requirement for AI data-center capacity by 2030.

Expanding commercial solar could accelerate the UK’s path to net zero, avoid using farmland for solar arrays, and reduce energy costs for occupiers. On a broader scale, SolarPower Europe reported that solar power helped the EU displace €30bn in gas imports this year, mitigating market spikes caused by Middle East conflicts and heatwaves that reduced the efficiency of thermal and nuclear power plants.