solar panels on a rooftop of a house
Low carbon installations have risen 7% from 2023. Image: Vivent Solar by Unsplash.

Data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has revealed 2024 to be a record year for small-scale renewable energy installations.

According to the MCS, an organization which certifies installers of low-carbon technologies, more than 260,000 certified installations of solar panels, heat pumps and battery energy storage systems (BESS) were completed in 2024, a 7% increase from 2023.

Of these installations, solar PV remains the most popular green technology. Around 184,462 MCS-certified solar installations took place across 2024, a number which, while significant, does represent a 7% drop from 2023’s 198,362 solar installations.

The average cost of a home solar installation saw a gradual decline across 2024, declining from an average £9,238 in January to £7,561 in December, with the year’s average sitting at £8,198. While this still represents a gradual but steady decline, prices are falling much faster than in 2023, which saw prices fall by less than £1,000 between January and December, with the year’s average installation cost falling at £9,994.

As in 2023, the Isle of Anglesey leads the pack for 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 table sits Douglas, on the Isle of Man, with only 0.02% of homes – just two households – being fitted for solar in 2024.

Meanwhile, home BESS installations had a record-breaking year, with 20,044 installations completed – over quadruple the number of BESS installations in 2023. The average installation cost for home BESS saw significant and somewhat votatile change, ending in a £72 increase in average installation cost between January and December 2024. Across 2024, the average cost of a home BESS installation sat at £8,035, a 13% decrease from 2023’s average of £9,343.

Notably, more remote areas of the UK appear to be some of the most interested in home BESS installations, with the Isles of Scilly and the Shetland Islands topping the table for regions with the highest percentage of homes with BESS installations at 0.78% and 0.7% respectively. Just behind these island regions is the Moray region of Scotland, on the northeast coast of the nation, which, at 185 home BESS installations, has a 0.44% installation rate for battery technology.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rise of heat pumps has continued, with almost 60,000 certified heat pump installations taking place in 2024 – a 43% rise from 2023. The UK government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has seen strong uptake in 2024, with applications for the £7,500 grant seeing a 27% year-on-year rise last year.

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, 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.”

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh added: “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.”