A concerted effort to secure the South West's position as a leader in renewable energy technology has been boosted after recognition for its low-carbon credentials.

Four Westcountry communities are named in the top ten UK "solar-powered towns and cities", according to a study based on installations by energy company HomeSun.

The study claims that Plymouth is flying the flag for the Westcountry with the highest number of homes powered by solar energy. The city, which has an estimated 2,000 roofs available to harness the power of the sun, is second only to Fareham in Hampshire, which has 2,600.

St Austell and Exeter are fifth and sixth in the list, respectively, while Barnstaple features in ninth place.

The figures were announced yesterday, on summer solstice, by TV weatherman John Kettley on behalf of HomeSun.

He said: "The Top Ten Solar List is a guide to the solar hot spots in the UK to help raise awareness of the options available to homeowners across the country.

"Homeowners with a large unshaded south facing roof – of which there are many in Fareham, Plymouth and the rest of the South West and South East – can reduce their electricity bill by a third while also increasing the value of their home and reducing their carbon footprint."

Dreams of a much-feted "solar gold rush" in the South West appeared to fade after the Government performed a U-turn on its Feed-in Tariff (FiT) subsidy.

The scheme, which offered a cash incentive for every unit of renewable energy produced, was significantly reduced to expel companies and community-scale projects from accessing the fund – less than a year after the launch of the Government subsidy triggered a short-lived clamour for solar energy developments.

At the time of the FiT announcement, many predicted the subsidy would spark a solar gold rush in the South West – particularly in Cornwall where the conditions for harnessing the power of the sun are said to be unrivalled anywhere else in the UK.

The generous tariff was seen as responsible for a throng of planning applications from companies looking to press ahead with multi-million-pound developments in the countryside. Some of these applications have since been pulled.

A spokesman for HomeSun said: "The amount of energy generated by solar panels is determined not by temperature but by sunlight – also called insolation.

"With more sunlight hours than any other day of the year, June 21 will be especially lucrative for those with solar."