Solar power: Green Prince Charles looks to sun for electricity at his London home

The 32 solar photovoltaic panels, which produce electricity, can now be installed on the south-east roof of the central London residence, which has been a home to royalty for 170 years.

The panels are expected to produce around 4,000 kilowatt hours of green electricity a year – equivalent to the electricity used by the average household in the capital.

According to the planning application, approved by Westminster Council, the solar panels will be hidden from view by the high parapet balustrade on the Grade I listed building.

An environmental assessment of the scheme said it would be the latest in a line of renewable energy projects by the Prince's household which aim to cut carbon emissions and raise the profile of green technology.

Clarence House has already had energy efficient boilers and lights installed, while other royal properties have wood chip boilers and his cars run on cooking oil or even, in the case of his Aston Martin, on bioethanol from surplus wine.

The news that the scheme had been approved came as energy regulator Ofgem revealed that a record number of homeowners had solar panels installed this month.

The boost to the technology, which has seen solar panels fitted to 2,257 homes so far this month, up from 1,700 in July and 1,400 in June, stems from the Government's "feed-in tariff" scheme which pays people for the green energy they generate.

The feed-in tariff system was introduced on April 1, and enables homeowners to currently receive 41.3p for every unit of energy they generate, regardless of whether they use the energy themselves or sell it back to the National Grid.