UK rooftop solar installations surge, new battery storage record set

Latest MCS data for small-scale renewables reveal a strong month for solar installations up to 50 kW, double-digit growth for battery energy storage installations and a milestone reached despite a muted month for heat pump installations.

There were 21,125 small-scale solar installations in the United Kingdom in May 2025, according to accreditation body MCS, which also recorded a record month for battery energy storage additions.

Data for PV installations up to 50 kW show May’s installation figures were 30% higher than the same month the previous year. MCS recorded 101,861 solar installations for the year to May 31, 2025, up 37% on the 74,459 recorded in the first five months of 2024. While MCS certification is not a legal requirement for small-scale solar installations, consumers can only access UK government incentives such as the Smart Export Guarantee, making it a good indicator of demand.

MCS certified battery energy storage installations also spiked in May 2025, with almost 3,400 certified installations, an 112% increase on May 2024 and the best month on record. First launched in 2021, the MCS battery installation standard applies to systems with maximum power output up to 50 kW.

Heat pump additions were more muted, but the cumulative total did break the 300,000 barrier in May 2025. MCS recorded 5,150 certified installations for the month, compared to 5,084 in May 2024. Despite flat growth for May, 25,676 heat pump installations were recorded for the first five months of 2025, putting year-to-date growth at 13% as of May 31. This remains well below the pace required to hit the UK government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028. More relaxed planning rules for heat pumps came into force in England on May 31, 2025, in a bid to support deployment.

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said in a press release. “It’s great to see us reaching crucial milestones in 2025 in the small-scale renewables sector, a positive sign that consumer confidence in home-grown energy is continuing to grow.”