The official standards body for the industry reported that the number of households and businesses that have installed rooftop solar panels has reached a 12-year peak, and there has been a record increase in heat pump installations in 2023.
The data indicated that nearly 190,000 rooftop solar installations were completed last year, which was the highest amount since the government lowered its subsidy program in late 2011.
According to the data, the amount of heat pumps installed in the UK has reached a new peak of nearly 40,000, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. This brings the total number of verified heat pumps in the country to over 200,000.
According to the MCS, the organization responsible for accreditation in the industry, there was a sudden increase in requests for heat pumps after the government raised the amount of grants available through their boiler upgrade program from £5,000 to £7,500 for air-source heat pumps in October. They reported a 50% increase in grant applications following the implementation of the higher rate.
Although the MCS Foundation manages the standards program, they stated that the UK has not yet reached its objective of decreasing its dependence on gas. This is a critical aspect in achieving Britain’s legally binding climate goals.
The article stated that the use of heat pumps is expected to increase by over ten times in the next four years in order to reach the government’s goal of 600,000 per year by 2028.
According to David Cowdrey, the director of external affairs for the foundation, the industry will require more government policies in addition to increased grants in order to achieve the necessary rapid growth.
He urged the government to transfer social and environmental fees from energy bills to general taxation in order to lower electricity expenses and make operating heat pumps significantly more affordable than using a gas boiler.
Charlotte Lee, the CEO of the Heat Pump Association, a trade organization, stated: “As the demand for heat pumps from consumers continues to increase, we urge all heating engineers to plan ahead and receive training in heat pump installation in order to support the expected growth and ensure the sustainability of their business.”
In 2011, solar installations did not reach the previous record of 203,000. This was due to a rush of individuals taking advantage of the feed-in-tariff support before it was reduced.
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“The solar sector is experiencing significant growth, especially as we near the completion of the government-industry solar taskforce, which is set to release its plan for achieving 70GW of capacity in the next few months,” stated Chris Hewett, CEO of Solar Energy UK.
I am pleased to see the increasing use of heat pumps and battery energy storage systems. When combined with rooftop solar energy systems, these technologies can optimize savings and reduce carbon emissions.
Source: theguardian.com
