MCS Declare 2024 a Record Year for Small-Scale Renewables

According to data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) data dashboard more than 260,000 certified installations of solar panels, heat pumps and battery energy storage systems (BESS) were fitted in UK homes and businesses in 2024 making a new record. MCS, a quality assurance scheme important to the renewables industry, certifies small-scale renewable energy systems and the companies that install them. They are in a key position to monitor installations in the UK. There are over 5,000 MCS registered installers belonging to the scheme.

The number of installations is up 7% year-on-year compared to 2023 which was itself a record year for installations. The total number of certified installations that have taken place in the UK has now surpassed the 2 million mark as a result of these record-breaking numbers. This shows the UK consumer’s growing commitment to and confidence in renewable technologies for heating and powering their homes. 

Solar PV is still by far the most popular green technology with around 184,462 MCS-certified solar installations taking place across 2024 though numbers were down by about 7% from 2023’s 198.362 solar installations. There are now over 1.6 million solar installations in the UK.

2024 saw a gradual but steady decline in the average cost of home solar installations from an average £9,238 in January to £7,561 in December with the year’s average sitting at £8,198. Prices fell much faster than in 2023 when prices fell by less than £1,000 between January and December with the year’s average installation cost falling at £9,994.

The Isle of Anglesey remains the region with the highest percentage of households with solar installations with 3.18% of the Welsh island’s homes fitted with solar PV as of December 2024. At the other end of the scale Douglas on the Isle of Man has only 0.02% of homes, just two households, fitted with solar.

MCS CEO Ian Rippin commented: 

“It’s fantastic to see the record-breaking uptake of renewable energy technologies across the UK. More consumers are making the switch to home-grown energy, placing their trust in MCS certified contractors to give them confidence in their renewable installations.
As the numbers rise and more people benefit from home-grown energy, it’s crucial that standards are maintained in order to continue the momentum. This is where MCS product and installation standards have a key role to play in building confidence as the UK transitions to net zero.” 

Despite the popularity of solar PV, the fastest growing technology was the heat pump. Installations climbed by 43% year-on-year in 2024 to reach almost 60,000, a record-breaking rise. October was the second-best month ever for heat pump installations, since the closure of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in March 2022. A total of 5,863 certified heat pumps were installed which is a 65% increase on October last year. MCS believes that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is partly responsible for the surge in the number of installations. 

The BUS is a government backed scheme which gives homes in England and Wales grants of up to £7,500 for replacing a fossil fuel boiler with a heat pump. The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan is available in Scotland and offers £9,000 for low-carbon heating systems and an additional £7,500 as a loan if needed. A further £1,500 uplift is available for rural and island homes, provided they also improve energy efficiency.

These grants have helped to make heat pumps more accessible and affordable for homeowners. The BUS saw strong uptake in 2024 with applications rising by 27% year-on-year. The total number of certified heat pump installations in the UK has now reached over 275,000 marking a new milestone. It’s looking likely that the UK government will increase BUS funding to £295m in the next financial year from £150m in the current period. 

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 

“It is excellent news that clean energy is now within reach for more people than ever. From heat pumps to solar panels, renewables are essential for supporting working people to secure affordable, homegrown power for their homes and businesses. By almost doubling the budget for our Boiler Upgrade Scheme in the next financial year, we hope that records for renewable installations continue to be overtaken.”

Home Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installations also had a record-breaking year with 20,044 installations completed which is more than four times the number of BESS installations in 2023. The cost of installing a home BESS was somewhat changeable over the course of 2024 ending in a £72 increase on average. Between January and December 2024, the average cost of a home BESS installation was £8,035 which is a decrease from 2023’s average of £9,343.

It's interesting to note that areas in the more remote parts of the UK seem to be some of the most interested in BESS installations. The Isles of Scilly and the Shetland Islands top the chart for regions with the greatest percentage of homes with BESS installations at 0.78% and 0.7% respectively. Following on close behind is the Moray region of Scotland, on the northeast coast of the nation with 185 home BESS installations, a 0.445 installation rate for battery technology. 

There was some hope at the beginning of this year that legislation might be passed to mandate housebuilders to include rooftop solar on new developments from Spring 2026, but the private members bill failed to pass at this time.

CPRE, the countryside charity backed this bill as it estimated that 60% of the extra solar the UK would need to install by 2035 to achieve its 70GW capacity target could be delivered on rooftops. Developers are to be encouraged to add solar instead.
Interestingly, CPRE’s polling of 2,100 adults across the UK found that 82% would support the Bill.