FIGURES show the number of houses in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with solar panels on the roof has “soared” in recent years.
The latest MCS Data Dashboard data shows 8,977 households in the conurbation have a solar panel attached to their roofs – the equivalent to one in 20.
More people installed solar panels in March this year than any other month since December 2015 in BCP, the data says.
Friends of the Earth said the rise in solar panel installations is "really encouraging", with people motivated by rising energy prices and the falling cost of solar technology and a “growing awareness about climate breakdown”.
But Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, added the pace of switching to clean energy is too slow and called on the Government to further encourage people to invest in green sources, such as solar power.
“Installing solar panels is an opportunity extended only to those who can front the costs, with many millions who simply can’t afford that kind of investment,” he said.
“There are so many solutions that can make how we power and heat our homes greener.
“The Government must make it easier for people to access insulation, heat pumps and solar which are all a win for the planet as much as they are for reducing energy costs.”
Solar panels generate energy from the sun when the light shines on the panel’s material and a flow of electricity is created.
Read more: Solar panels installed at Avon Heath Country Park
It is used by people who want to cut back on energy spending and the energy generated is completely free for the homeowner.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said solar power is “a key part of our plans to power up Britain, helping to deliver cheaper, cleaner and more secure homegrown energy”.
A spokesman said the Government is working to connect projects to the grid faster. They added nearly all of the UK's solar capacity has been installed since 2010.
Current targets would see the UK produce 70 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2035.
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