Fewer than one in ten suitable rooftops across the UK currently host solar panels, according to new figures that have reignited the debate over whether ground-mounted solar farms on agricultural land are the right approach to expanding Britain's renewable energy capacity. The statistic, highlighted by Energy Live News, raises awkward questions for policymakers and developers who have increasingly turned to fields and farmland to meet solar deployment targets, even as vast swathes of commercial and domestic roof space remain untouched. The findings will add fuel to an already heated planning row that has played out in constituencies across England in recent years, where large-scale solar farms proposed for greenfield sites have met fierce local opposition. Campaigners and rural communities have repeatedly argued that productive farmland should be protected for food production, particularly at a time when concerns about national food security have grown more pronounced. Their central argument has long been that rooftops - on warehouses, factories, supermarkets and homes - represent an underused resource that could deliver significant solar capacity without the same land-use conflicts. The gap identified in the figures suggests the potential is substantial. Commercial and industrial buildings, with their large, flat, often south-facing roofs, are widely regarded by the solar industry as ideal candidates for panel installation, yet uptake has lagged well behind expectations. Barriers commonly cited include the upfront cost of installation, the complexities of leasing arrangements between landlords and tenants, grid connection constraints, and a lack of clear financial incentives compared with those available for ground-mounted developments. For a government committed to decarbonising the power sector and expanding renewable capacity as part of its net zero commitments, the disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Ministers have set ambitious targets for solar deployment as part of the broader energy transition, and rooftop solar could, in theory, help meet those goals while sidestepping some of the planning battles that have slowed ground-mounted projects. Encouraging greater uptake of rooftop solar, however, would likely require more robust policy support, including streamlined regulations, targeted subsidies or mandates for new commercial developments to incorporate solar as standard. The tension between rooftop and field-based solar reflects a wider pattern in the UK's energy transition, where the most technically efficient or land-appropriate solutions do not always align with existing infrastructure, investment incentives or public sentiment. As the country works to expand its renewable generation capacity while safeguarding agricultural land, the underused potential of Britain's rooftops is likely to remain a talking point among industry figures, environmental groups and rural communities alike, all pressing for a rethink of where solar investment should be directed.