UK: attitudes to solar power developments 2023

The level of support for the development of solar energy in the United Kingdom reached around 88 percent as of March 2023. This was the renewable technology with the largest public support in the UK in that year.

Generally speaking, do you support or oppose solar renewable energy developments?

Characteristic	Strongly support	Support	Neither support nor oppose	Oppose	Strongly oppose	Don't know
2023	55%	33%	8%	1%	-	3%
2022	53%	34%	9%	1%	-	2%
2021	45%	39%	11%	2%	1%	2%
2020	41%	45%	10%	2%	1%	1%
2019	42%	47%	8%	2%	1%	1%
2018	42%	46%	10%	2%	1%	-
2017	41%	45%	10%	3%	1%	-
2016	40%	44%	12%	3%	1%	1%
2015	37%	44%	13%	4%	2%	1%
2014	36%	49%	9%	4%	1%	1%
2013	39%	45%	11%	3%	1%	-
2012	40%	44%	12%	3%	1%	1%

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Release date

June 2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

March 2012 to March 2023

Number of respondents

4,373 households

Age group

16 years and older

Special properties

UK households

Method of interview

Computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI)

Supplementary notes

Percentages may not total 100 percent due to rounding.

-Base 2022 = 4,373 UK households
-Base 2021 = 4,029 UK households
-Base 2020 = 2,544 UK households
-Base 2019 = 4,224 UK households.
-Base 2018 = 2,102 UK households.
-Base 2017 = 2,180 UK households.
-Base 2016 = 2,105 UK households.
-Base 2015 = 1,981 UK households.
-Base 2014 = 2,040 UK households.
-Base 2013 = 2,103 UK households.
-Base 2012 = 2,087 UK households.
-Base 2013 = 2,057 UK households.
-Base 2012 = 2,121 UK households.

Survey methodology up to 2019 was a Kantar face-to-face omnibus survey. Between 2020 and 2021, a temporary Kantar online panel type of survey was introduced, which was not based on a random sample of respondents. In 2022 and 2023, an address based online survey (ABOS) was used. Due to a change in survey methodology, the source states that direct comparisons between time series is not possible.

From 1012 to 2022, the survey was conducted by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), whereas in 2023 it was carried out by the newly created Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

This statistic using original data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero includes copyright material licensed under © Crown, the Open Government License v3.0