British households are experiencing a surge in green energy upgrades, with an unprecedented number of solar panels and heat pumps being installed in the first half of this year, as reported by the official industry standards body. Recent data reveals that June witnessed the highest number of green energy installations compared to previous years.
In 2023, an average of over 17,000 households embraced solar panels per month, while the number of homes adopting heat pumps reached 3,000 monthly for the first time. Additionally, battery technologies also saw a series of record-breaking months throughout the year, resulting in over 1,000 batteries being installed in homes and businesses across the UK so far in 2023.
According to MCS, the industry’s accreditation body, this green energy boom places households on track to exceed the previous record set in 2012, when solar panel installations soared ahead of government subsidy reductions. MCS Chief Executive, Ian Rippin, highlighted the increasing trend of individuals turning to renewable technology to generate their own energy and heat in response to escalating energy costs.
Small-scale renewable energy installations in the UK, both at homes and businesses, now possess a total capacity of 4 gigawatts (GW), surpassing the capacity of the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant under construction and nearly doubling the capacity of Europe’s largest gas power plant in Pembroke, Wales.
Rippin emphasized the need for continued expansion to achieve the shared national net zero ambitions by 2050. He acknowledged that more consumers now possess the confidence to invest in small-scale renewables, but also stressed the importance of simplifying the transition further.
The UK government has set ambitious targets, aiming for a solar capacity of 70GW by 2035 and the installation of 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028. However, the adoption of heat pumps has fallen significantly short of the government’s goal, even with £5,000 grants to reduce the cost of replacing old gas boilers.
MCS data for the first six months of 2023 indicates 17,920 heat pump installations. If this pace continues into the second half of the year, only 6% of the government’s target will be reached. Bean Beanland, the director of external affairs at the Heat Pump Federation, expressed the need for substantial efforts to make heat pump technology mainstream throughout the decade.
One of the major barriers the accreditation body identified in achieving the government’s heat pump ambitions is the recruitment of sufficient qualified installers to meet the demand for dependable advice and installations. While there are currently 1,500 certified heat pump installation companies in the UK, an estimated 50,000 workers will be required to meet the government targets. Encouragingly, over 850 new contractors have become MCS certified this year, surpassing the number from the whole of 2022.
Beanland emphasized the importance of making low-carbon heat the most affordable option, enabling homeowners and landlords to justify transitioning away from polluting fossil fuels. A combination of affordable pricing and future funding can empower households to make a meaningful contribution to climate change mitigation.
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