Research and analysis

Estimating renewable generation and homes powered: methodology

This note sets out how renewable capacity is translated into annual generation estimates and converted into equivalent homes or region powered.

• From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
• Published: 20 March 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

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Estimating renewable generation and homes powered: methodology note

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This methodology note sets out how the department estimates annual electricity generation from renewable energy capacity. It explains how installed capacity is combined with standardised load factors and system‑wide electricity losses to produce generation estimates, and how these estimates are compared with electricity consumption statistics to create “homes powered” and regional equivalence figures used in government communications.

Published 20 March 2026