Green energy schemes saw a fivefold increase across the South West as the region powered a renewable "revolution" which now employs more than 10,000 people, new figures have revealed.
The amount of clean electricity which can now be generated, more than doubled over the past year as investors took advantage of generous incentives and falling costs.
Installed capacity went up by 308 megawatts (MW) – ten times the rises seen in the previous two years – from 218 MW to 526 MW in April this year.
New projects increased by more than 47,000, bringing the total to 55,000, a dramatic leap from the 2010/2011 tally of 8,084.
Cornwall leads the way, with a surge in capacity from 75 MW to 131.5 MW, closely followed by Devon, which has seen more than a threefold rise from 37.1MW to 130.5MW.
Dorset's capacity rose from 19.2 MW to 30 MW and Somerset increased from 13.25 MW to 32.8 MW.
Regen South West, which publishes its annual survey today, described the past 12 months as "exceptional".
Tim Jones, chairman of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, said the sector had now reached a "tipping point".
"We are beginning to discover that this is a massive opportunity and all the predictions about job generation, if anything, are conservative," Mr Jones added.
"Renewable energy is no longer about a set of regulations that is going to cost businesses money but a real chance to get a bottom line – that has only happened in the last six months." The sharp increase over the past 12 months is partly explained by the completion of the 22 giant turbines at Fullabrook in North Devon, a wind farm which can produce 66 MW of power.
This brings to 28% the current contribution of the onshore wind sector to the region, an installed capacity of 150 MW or 1.5% of total electricity demand.
Three quarters of the 40 new schemes in Devon and Cornwall produced less than 50 kilowatts (kW).
But most of the new capacity was driven by an unprecedented growth in solar energy schemes, helped by generous payments from the Feed-in-Tarrif (FiT).
The number of installations of photo-voltaic (PV) projects rose a staggering 600% with a 1,000% increase in capacity – representing an extra 235MW.
Uncertainty over subsidies, including a legal challenge to the Government's review, meant the rate of PV installations fluctuated, and 62% of domestic and small scale systems were completed in just four months, up to April 2012.
More than 2,000 people are now employed in this sector alone, nearly double that of two years ago, with Exeter-based SunGift Solar having grown from nine to 46 staff in two years.
Overall, the employment growth in industry across the region has doubled in two years, building on an impressive 78% increase between 2008 and 2010, and Regen SW estimates that this will have grown by 40% to around 10,000.
The widespread availability of technology has opened up new possibilities in the agricultural industry.
Mole Valley Farmers set up a new renewable energy initiative last year, which has now installed 23,000 solar panels across 308 farm sites.
The company generated a total of 5 MW of energy in its first year, enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
The projects are estimated to generate around £1.6 million of Feed-in Tariff income per year for members.
Regen South West Chief executive Merlin Hyman said: "This is a significant moment – no-one predicted the rate of growth in solar PV but it just shows what we can achieve.
"We have been reliant on a few big projects up to now and this is the first time we have seen capacity come online from lots of small projects.
"There is an appetite from a vast range of people from landowners to tourist businesses, farmers and community groups to get involved.
"We see a lot of negative Press but with community groups and opinion polls you see a groundswell of consistent backing for renewable energy.
"It comes down to a common sense view: British wind is better than Russian gas."
