Wales leads the way for small-scale solar installations in the UK

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has revealed that April 2023 saw Wales secure the highest uptake of small-scale renewable installations – including solar photovoltaics (PV) –  for homes and businesses in the UK.

Using housing data from the Office for National Statistics, MCS revealed that 7.24% of homes in Wales have small-scale renewable installations, overtaking Scotland which is at 7.23% for the first time since 2021.

England had the third highest volume of domestic installations at 5.52% and Northern Ireland is fourth with 4.19%.

In total, Wales has 98,537 all-time installations, Scotland has 178,758, England 1,261,503 and Northern Ireland 31,421.

Despite the higher installation count, Scotland has an estimated double the amount of households than Wales, meaning that there were more installations to the number of households according to MCS and housing data.

 “It’s promising to see Wales perform so well in our latest data release as it highlights that more Welsh homeowners are not only looking to decarbonise their homes, but also that they are conscious about the installation quality they receive to maximise efficiency. For consumers like Sian, solar panels will lead to long-term cost savings,” said Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS.

“Solar PV continues to be the most popular technology type in Wales and across the UK, but heat pump installers are also seeing further uptake each month, and demand is gaining momentum for low-carbon heating, especially since the Boiler Upgrade Scheme was extended to 2028.

“With the energy crisis still very prevalent, consumers face hard decisions, so we hope these latest statistics give businesses and consumers in Wales the confidence to invest in home-grown energy to prepare their homes for a low-carbon future.”

This follows a 114% increase in MCS-certified solar PV installations in Q1 2023.