In 2023, the UK has seen a remarkable increase in rooftop solar power installations, overtaking the total count from 2022, as per MCS data.
Records indicate that since December, there have been 138,336 solar photovoltaic installations, marginally surpassing the 137,926 installations from the previous year.
These figures pertain to installations with a capacity of up to 50kW, typical for homes, schools, and small businesses. A standard household installation usually boasts around a 4kW capacity.
Based on current trends, the UK is on track to exceed the record high of 203,120 installations set in 2011 during the height of the Feed-in Tariffs scheme.
This program concluded at the end of 2019, having achieved its objective of lowering the costs of photovoltaic energy.
The surge in solar installations is underscored by the fact that over the last 13 months, more than half of the total solar capacity installed in the past four and a half years has been added.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, commented: “Small-scale solar offers both homeowners and businesses a way to gain energy autonomy and shield themselves from the escalating costs of electricity.
“While there’s still progress to be made in facilitating the shift to low carbon technologies for UK consumers, 2023 has already become the most successful year for solar panel installations on residential and commercial properties in our history.”
Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, remarked: “The rapid pace of rooftop solar deployment is driven by straightforward factors. Grid electricity continues to be costly, whereas solar energy is affordable, with most cases seeing a return on investment within a few years.
“For homeowners and small businesses, it ranks as one of the most beneficial financial decisions. Alongside heightened awareness of climate change and record-breaking global temperatures, it’s unsurprising that so many are opting to reduce their carbon footprint through solar energy.”
