Here’s our data-backed list of the sunniest places in the UK, and why they’re great for solar panels...
Solar panels in the UK continue to grow in popularity, with 1.7 million UK households now benefiting from lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions, and less reliance on the grid.
Not all of the UK is equal in how much it benefits from solar panels though, because not everywhere in the UK gets the same amount of sunlight.
And, despite the fact solar panels do still work even when the sun isn’t shining, they obviously work best in direct sunlight.
We’ve written this article covering the sunniest places in the UK, so you can get a better idea of how much energy your solar panels could generate depending on where you live.
PS We offer MCS-certified solar panel installation nationwide. Simply answer these questions, get your fixed price and arrange your free design. You’ll find out if your postcode is solar-friendly in just a few minutes.
🔑 Key Points:
Shanklin, a town on the Isle of Wight, is the sunniest place in the UK (1,976 hours of sunshine a year)
Even in the sunniest areas, you’ll want solar panels to be south-facing to get the most out of them
Most of the sunniest places in the UK can be found by the coast
The right solar panel and battery storage setup can benefit homes even in lower-sun regions.
Why Sunshine Matters
Sunshine makes a trip to the beach oh so much more enjoyable, but it’s also hugely beneficial to solar efficiency. Now sure, solar panels do continue to work even under cloud cover, but they truly thrive when they’re bathing in direct sunlight.
If you plan to charge your electric vehicle with solar energy, you’ll want lots of sunlight too. Again, you can use your EV charger with solar panels even in areas that don’t get loads of sunshine, but you’ll be better off in the sunnier parts of the UK.
As a bonus, the more sunshine you get, the better your mood will be on average. Sunlight influences serotonin and vitamin D production, and helps regulate sleep-wake cycles, improving your overall wellbeing.
How Is Sunshine Measured?
When measuring sunshine, we typically break it down into sunshine duration and solar irradiance. Both are essential factors to measure when thinking about the sunniest places in the UK:
Sunshine Duration
This is a measure of how long an area receives direct sunlight, and is recorded throughout the year to provide as accurate an average as possible. In the past, we primarily used a tool called the Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder, which used a glass sphere to focus sunlight onto a card.
Bright sunlight would leave a burn trace on the card, and we could use the length of this burn trace to calculate the number of bright sunshine hours on a given day.
Do this every day, and you have a surprisingly precise picture of the number of sunlight hours a location gets each year.
Nowadays, many modern stations use an automated sunshine sensor, but there are still plenty of places using the classic Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder (old school vibes).
Solar Irradiance
Solar irradiance is a measure of the power of the sunlight hitting an area, and the higher an area’s solar irradiance, the more power solar panels will generate. This is why knowing an area’s solar irradiance is essential, because it affects how much electricity a solar panel can generate.
We measure solar irradiance in watts per square metre (W/m²), using an irradiance measuring tool called a pyranometer.
In practical terms, areas with higher average annual sunshine hours and solar irradiance will be better for solar panels.
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Top 10 Sunniest Places in the UK
Thinking of getting solar panels? We used data on climate averages from the Met Office to find out exactly where in the UK the sun shines brightest for the longest. To show how good solar panels can be in these areas, we also calculated how much energy a typical 3.5 kWp solar panel system might generate in a year, using this calculation:
Solar panel wattage x daily sunshine hours x efficiency factor (typically 0.75), divided by 1,000 to get the daily kilowatt hours.
Multiply the kilowatt hours by the number of panels in your system, then multiply that by 365 to get the approximate annual output.
So if you live in one of the following 10 areas, you’ll be generating more solar energy on average than elsewhere in the country:
10. Swanage, Dorset
Not only does Swanage benefit from its beautiful beaches, quaint cottages, and dramatic coastlines, but it also gets to soak up some 1,805 hours of sunshine per year.
If you’re lucky enough to have a home there, then getting solar panels in Swanage is a smart move. Assuming a standard 3.5 kilowatt peak (kWp) solar system, you’d generate approximately 4,693 kilowatt hours (kWh). This is more than enough to meet the average Swanage household’s annual electricity consumption of 3,529 kWh a year.
Combine your solar panels with battery storage, and you’ll be even less reliant on the grid for your electricity.
9. Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
Seaside town Walton-on-the-Naze (we’re not sure what it means either) soaks up plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with its 7,000 or so residents basking in 1,824 hours of sunlight annually.
Those smart enough to make the switch to solar here can generate around 4,782 kWh with a 3.5 kWp system per year. More than enough energy to brew a cuppa or two before you head to do some fossil hunting, for which Walton-on-the-Naze is famous for.
8. Ramsgate, Kent
Another place with fantastic beaches (maybe a sign of things to come on this list?) Ramsgate in Kent is well accustomed to soaking up the sunshine. An impressive annual average of 1,846 hours in fact, which with a 3.5 kWp solar panel system will allow you to generate around 4,790 kWh each year.
If you’re spending most of your time on the beach and not using the healthy chunks of free electricity your panels are generating, you could always export to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee. You’ll make around £180 a year doing this in Ramsgate – not shedloads of cash sure, but better than nothing and it’ll allow you to pay back the upfront cost of solar panels quicker.
7. Shoeburyness, Landwick
The small suburb of Shoeburyness is located in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and since 1990, has recorded 1,884 annual average sunshine.
Install a 3.5 kWp solar system and your panels could generate around 4,886 kWh a year. For most homes, this’ll be more than enough to meet your annual electricity needs. Get battery storage, and the high sunshine hours in this area will help you store plenty of clean electricity for use at night, or when sun isn’t shining (a comparatively rare event when you consider much of the rest of the UK!).
6. Eastbourne, East Sussex
“I do like to be beside the seaside” sang Mark Sheridan back in 1907. We bet he’d also like how much Eastbourne’s 1,892 hours of sunshine a year helps solar panels.
With a 3.5 kWp solar system in Eastbourne, you could be generating 4,963 kWh every year. Numbers like this make going solar here a bit of a no-brainer, but if you’re still not fully convinced, we’ve got a whole guide on why solar panels are worth it in the UK.
5. Weymouth, Dorset
Weymouth in Dorset is steeped in history, with everyone from the Romans, who would ship supplies in from the empire, to British monarchs such as George III all paying a visit. The coastal town is steeped in sunlight too, with a whopping 1,904 hours of glorious sunshine bathing the area every year.
So, if you live in Weymouth and are considering solar panels, you could be generating 4,991 kWh with a typically sized 3.5 kWp solar system.
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4. Hastings
Site of probably the UK’s most famous battle, Hastings played its part in the pivotal moment William the Conqueror invaded and, well, conquered England in 1066.
No such battles are happening in Hastings anymore thankfully, and instead the town enjoys nearly 500 more hours of sunshine than the UK average – 1,460 versus 1,915.
With 10 solar panels rated at 350 watts each, you’ll generate around 5,020 kWh per year.
Where Hastings could do better is its overall adoption of solar panels, as just 3.8% of households have installed solar systems. Come on Hastings, you’re getting that much sunshine and you’re hesitating over solar? You could save £550–£800 on your energy bills a year (including money made from exports via the Smart Export Guarantee).
3. Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Bognor Regis in West Sussex is one of a few areas in the UK that benefits from its own microclimate. It gets this from its position between the ocean and the South Downs, which keeps the area relatively dry.
Not only does Bognor Regis stay drier than much of the UK, but it gets much more sun too – 1,919 hours of sunshine a year. That’s enough to help a 3.5 kWp solar panel system produce 5,030 kWh every year!
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2. Folkestone, Kent
Down to the last two on our list, Folkestone in Kent really pushed for the sunniest place in the UK with 1,932 hours of sunshine on average per year. In solar panel terms, getting a 3.5 kWp system in Folkestone might well see you generating 5,068 kWh annually, which is a huge amount compared to what most of the rest of the UK would generate.
With all that power, you’ll have plenty to charge your EV ready for a trip to Europe via the Channel Tunnel (located in Folkestone!).
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1. Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Shining bright (almost literally) at the top of our list is the small coastal resort of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. And by some margin too – Shanklin gets 1,976 hours of sunshine each year.
Install a 3.5 kWp solar system here and you’re going to be generating roughly 5,173 kWh annually. This comfortably places Shanklin as the location for solar panels, which helps explain why some 7.77% of households on the Isle of Wight have solar systems installed.
What It Means for Solar Power
The long and short of it is, the more sunshine hours a location gets each year, the more effective a solar panel system will be. As you’re typically generating more electricity too, you’ll have a shorter payback period for your solar panels, so you can get to the point of actually profiting from your solar panels quicker.
If you opt for battery storage and live in an area that gets more sunshine than average, you’ll be able to charge it faster and more consistently.
Is Sunshine the Be All and End All of Solar Panels?
Make no mistake, sunshine is the biggest factor in a solar panel generating electricity – but it’s not the only one. Panel orientation, roof angle, and shading all play significant parts in a solar system’s ability to generate power. Let’s take a closer look at how each factor affects solar panels:
Panel orientation: The best angle and direction for solar panels in the UK is between 20° and 50°, facing south. This is the orientation at which panels can make the most of the sunlight hitting them. While you can generate electricity with solar panels on a north-facing roof, it’ll be significantly less and might not make the upfront cost of solar panels worth it.
Roof angle: You’ll want a roof angled at roughly 45°, but if you have a flat roof it’s certainly not the end of your solar panel journey. You can get mounting brackets for flat roofs that’ll tilt your solar panels 15° to 20° – not quite as optimal as a pitched roof, but still fine for generating plenty of clean electricity.
Shading: The less shade on your solar panels, the better. Don’t fret if your roof gets some shade, just as long as it’s not constantly hidden from the sun throughout the day.
Read more:
Top Tips for Solar Buyers
If you don’t live in a particularly sunny area, odds are you're wondering if it’s even worth getting solar panels.
The answer is, yes – even in areas with lower-than-average sunlight, solar panels are absolutely worth getting. You’ll still be shrinking your energy bills, reducing your carbon emissions, and gaining more independence from the grid. The last point is an important one, because solar panels help protect you against the unpredictable nature of energy price rises.
Areas that don't get as much sunlight as other parts of the UK would benefit from installing solar panels with bifacial technology, such as REA Fusion 2 solar panels. Bifacial technology allows the panels to capture sunlight on both the front and back surfaces, which is an advantage when the sun isn’t directly shining.
Next Steps For Your Solar Journey:
When planning to install solar panels for your home, there are several important factors to consider. Make sure to refer to the following guides to help you make informed decisions:
To dive deeper into these topics, head over to our advice section, check out our YouTube channel for informative videos, or read a customer case study to see how others have benefited from their solar installation.
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