LONDON, UK. 29th July, 2024 – There has been a drop in the number of solar panels installed in homes across England in the first six months of 2024, with 63,000 panels installed in comparison to more than 83,000 during the same period last year, *new analysis from sustainable energy experts Solar Together shows.
However, Solar Together says that despite the fall in numbers, it expects to see a rise in the adoption rate across the rest of the year, with economic optimism and a more stable political environment likely to drive the trend. Within its first few weeks in office, the new Government has already signalled it plans to ‘unleash a solar rooftop revolution’ and simplify the process for installing solar panels on both new and existing homes.
Solar Together is a group-buying initiative that enables households to purchase solar panels and battery storage systems at a more competitive price – and overcome the often-perceived barrier of high initial upfront costs. Across 2023, Solar Together was responsible for 10% of MCS-certified solar panel installations in England.
The analysis shows that Maldon in Essex is the area of the country with the highest proportion of solar panel adoptees in the first half of 2024, with over 1% of households in the area installing solar panels in that timeframe alone. Through its scheme across Essex - in partnership with Essex County Council - Solar Together has supported nearly 2,500 households to install solar panels in a more affordable and stress-free fashion, including almost 300 in 2024 so far.
Among the other areas with the highest solar panel adoption rate in 2024 include The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, The Isles of Scilly off Cornwall, Boston in Lincolnshire, and Westmorland and Furness in Cumbria. Nearly 1% of households in each area have installed solar panels in the last six months.
Winchester is the city with the highest proportion of residents installing solar panels this year. This analysis follows a Solar Together study last year which showed Winchester as being the English city with the highest proportion of ‘green energy champions’ – households that have either adopted renewable energy sources or an electric vehicle. Cornwall was revealed to be the county with the highest share of green energy champions.
Recent Solar Together findings also revealed that 35% of energy-conscious consumers in the UK say it is likely they will make the switch to renewables within the next five years. However, there is a widespread view amongst UK households that there should be greater government incentives for investing in renewable energy sources at home, with 90% of energy consumers stating this.
George Frost, UK Country Manager at iChoosr, which delivers the Solar Together group buying initiatives, says: “While 2024 has so far seen a small drop in the number of households across England installing solar panels, we expect to see a sharp rise in activity across the rest of the year. With the cost-of-living crisis subsiding, economic growth prospects improving, and the incoming government putting a green energy revolution at the heart of its plans, the ingredients are there for a real uptick in solar panel installations across the rest of the year and beyond.”
He continues, “With energy prices now more stable – and inflation having fallen significantly from where it was just 18 months ago – coinciding with improved political stability brought about by the election, the number of households installing solar panels is likely to rise in the coming months. The new government has not only brought in new measures to support the renewable energy industry as a whole, but also changed the overall mood regarding solar power – and this optimism is likely to bring about a greater urgency amongst both businesses and households to make the switch. Historically, many individuals interested in pursuing renewable energy sources have cited costs and a difficulty in knowing where to start as barriers to kicking off the process. But with the support that’s now available to households around the country, including schemes like Solar Together, many more households are now able to go about the process in a much more simplified and stress-free manner.”
iChoosr has been collaborating with UK councils since 2015 on its Solar Together schemes, to accelerate the renewable energy transition nationwide. To date, Solar Together has delivered more than 33,991 installations, which are expected to remove over 690,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 25 years.
*analysis collated from MCS data
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