UK Residential Solar Installations Drive Growth; Installed Capacity Reaches 16.8GW
In May 2024, residential installations accounted for a significant portion of the UK's solar capacity, constituting 30% of the total installed capacity. This segment also led in new capacity additions for the month, with residential buildings alone contributing 53MW.
According to the latest data from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the country's total installed solar capacity reached 16.8GW by May 2024. In the first five months of the year, 582MW of new capacity was added, slightly down from 640MW during the same period in 2023. May 2024 saw 16,333 PV installations adding 69MW of capacity, marking the highest monthly figure in 2024, though lower than the 131MW added in May 2023.
The breakdown of new capacity in 2024 shows a balanced distribution between smaller and larger installations. Installations below 10 kW contributed 255MW, nearly matching the 257MW from installations of 5 MW or more. Meanwhile, installations between 10 kW and 50 kW accounted for 71MW, with only 9MW added in the 50 kW to 5 MW range.
The data highlights a resurgence in residential PV capacity, which had previously declined after the initial years of the UK's Feed-in Tariff but has now recovered to 30% of total capacity due to increased small-scale solar installations over the past 18 months.
Mark Sommerfeld, Deputy Director of the Renewable Energy Association (REA), acknowledged the modest improvement in deployment rates but emphasized the need for accelerated progress. He noted that achieving the UK's goal of 70GW of solar capacity by 2035, essential for meeting net-zero targets, requires more substantial advancements in solar deployment.
This latest update underscores the ongoing evolution of the UK's solar energy landscape, driven by residential installations and the broader push towards sustainable energy solutions.
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