MCS certified have confirmed a record number of installations for domestic Solar PV, heat pumps, and battery storage technologies in 2023.
On the 13th of December, MCS released data highlighting the increased renewable energy and heating installations to a total of 220,500.
Solar PV technology topped MCS installations, registering 183,022 across 2023. Which is a 42,022 from 2022.
Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, explained the reason for Solar PVs growth is because the technology is a key investment for both homeowners and businesses. Whilst electricity bills remain high, Solar PVs provide cheap decarbonised power that end up paying for itself a few years after installation.
Heat pumps were the second on the year-on-year increase for MCS installations.
In 2023, the UK has seen 35,000 installations of both air source and ground/water source technologies. Since 2008, the total of heat pumps installed increased to 200,000.
A huge part of this is due to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant increasing its support from £5000 to £7500 in October. From this, applications from the scheme increased from 331 to 1772.
Battery storage technology experienced the third highest increase in installation.
Of the 4700 MCS certified battery storage technologies installed in 2023, 800 of these were in November alone.
More importantly, the number of MCS certified contractors increased drastically from 50 in 2022 to 850 in 2023, allowing for more battery storage technologies to be installed at a faster rate in years to come.
Ian Rippin, Chief Executive Officer of MCS, reacted to the growth in MCS installations and increase in certified contractors:
“It’s a pleasure to report on another record-breaking year for small-scale renewables, illustrating the sector’s sustained upward growth. We had an incredibly busy 2023 and the data confirms the progress we’ve made. The future of small-scale renewable installations is becoming increasingly important, and we continue to play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of the UK’s homes. The growth we’ve seen in domestic renewable electricity systems over the past year may also give some insight into the growing consumer reliance on home-grown energy in the UK during the cost-of-living and energy crises. As electricity prices skyrocket, more people are turning to renewable solutions to generate their own power at home, secure energy independence, decrease their electricity bills, and reduce their carbon footprint.”
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