Why the UK must invest in solar – even when the sun takes a day off…

While the sun might not always shine in the UK, the opportunity to harness its power definitely does.

At E.ON, we’ve long believed that the future of energy doesn’t lie in just one national switch being flipped. It’s about empowering communities, partnering with councils, community groups. businesses and charities – and delivering local, tailored, renewable solutions that work whatever the weather.

There’s a reason solar energy is always part of the clean energy conversation – it’s one of the most abundant resources we have. So, the government’s announcement to roll out solar panels across 400 schools and hospitals is a welcome move. It's the first major project from Great British Energy, aiming to power up our public spaces, cut costs and boost energy resilience.

It’s a strong step forward. But it’s far from the first.

We’ve been delivering solar solutions for years – powering everything from homes to hospitals to, yes, even zoos. And in Coventry, we’re working with the city council to help schools rethink how they use and generate energy – with solar panels, heat pumps, insulation and smart controls all working together.

Powering up where it matters most

From bottling spirits to protecting endangered ones, we’re proving that solar belongs everywhere.

Take our partnership with Diageo – we installed 7,700 solar panels across eight football pitches’ worth of space at their Leven site in Fife, now generating up to 60% of their energy needs in the summer months.

Or head to Edinburgh Zoo, where we’ve created the UK’s biggest zoo-based solar meadow. With 1,548 panels producing around 25% of the zoo’s energy needs, it’s helping RZSS deliver on its mission to reduce its carbon footprint (or should that be paw-print!?) by 60% by 2030 – all while powering conservation in the most literal sense.

Thinking bigger, thinking local

But solar’s not just about single sites. Our strategic energy partnership in Coventry is a shining example of what happens when local vision meets smart energy. Our Solutions-for-Schools initiative is rethinking how school buildings operate: combining solar with heat pumps, insulation, AI energy controls and more. It’s a full energy makeover that empowers communities and drastically cuts emissions – without disrupting the school run.

And that’s why partnerships are so vital. If we want to hit clean energy targets and build economic resilience, we need to think beyond massive offshore windfarms. And it’s already happening on community rooftops, in school car parks and on local green spaces.

The recent report by the Localis thinktank backs that up, by calling for a new public-private partnership model to unlock more projects like ours in Coventry. If we’re serious about scaling up solar and hitting clean energy targets, we can’t rely on a few big players making scales at a national level. We need a new model – one that brings together public ambition and private expertise together -  and where councils and energy providers work side by side to unlock funding, overcome complexity and deliver projects that really work for local communities.

Lighting the way for tomorrow

This latest government announcement is a great start. But we need to keep going. That’s why we’re scaling fast: acquiring Eco2Solar to support greener new-build homes across the UK - integrating solar from day one of construction, not bolting it on later.

The point is this: solar isn’t just about blue skies. It’s about using what we’ve got, where we’ve got it. It's about making energy local, smart and part of the everyday fabric of our lives.

Because if we want a truly sustainable energy future, we need more than just national targets. We need action on the ground — and on the roof.