Cornwall Comes Out Top in the UK for Renewable Energy Installations

Cornwall has surpassed all other local authorities in the UK with its renewable energy adoption. This county in the Southwest of England is the clear forerunner when it comes to small-scale renewable energy installations. 

According to new data from MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewable energy, Cornwall has nearly 38,000 MCS-certified renewable installations. 2024 alone has seen Cornwall install 1,800 renewable installations so far. 

This means that more than 15% of households in Cornwall are being powered by an MCS-certified renewable energy installation, including solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage. These uptake figures are estimates calculated by dividing total installations by total households. 

There have been over 27,000 MCS-certified solar PV installations recorded since 2008 making solar panels the most popular renewable technology in Cornwall. It appears that Cornish residents are keen to tap into the sun’s energy to power their homes as solar PV installations account for 72% of all MCS-certified renewable installations in Cornwall. This trend has continued in 2024 with 65% of all MCS-certified renewable installations in Cornwall so far this year being solar panels. Solar PV’s domination of the landscape illustrates the strength of the domestic solar market which is being driven by an increasing demand from homeowners to generate home-grown electricity, lower their energy bills, and decrease their carbon footprint. 

As of 2024, the 4kW solar panel system has emerged as the most widely adopted size in the UK residential market. This system size is a practical choice for the average British household as it balances cost-effectiveness with energy output. A system of 4kW solar panels will cost you between £5,000 and £8,000. If the solar panels are installed on a south-facing roof and there is a decent amount of sunlight hours, an average household could save around £608 per year. This makes investing in solar good financial sense in the long run. With energy prices still high and current incentives, the payback period for a 4kW system is typically between 8 and 10 years. This makes solar panels an attractive long-term investment. If a homeowner is looking to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint then solar panels are an ideal investment.

Currently, the Smart Export Guarantee ensures that homeowners who generate their own electricity are paid for the electricity they export to the grid. This doesn’t happen automatically, so homeowners need to sign up to get the SEG tariff from their energy supplier. You need to have a renewable electricity generating system located in Great Britain that has a total installed capacity (TIC) of no more than 5MW or no more than 50kW for micro-CHP.

In February 2024, there were 1,468,652 solar panel installations across the UK which is a remarkable achievement. Residential buildings accounted for 83% of new systems installed in February 2024. There is no doubt, that increasing electricity prices and advancements in solar technology have spurred more homeowners to take on solar PV systems. Cornwall is perfectly situated to take advantage of solar power with its favourable climate. 

Heat pumps are also gaining in popularity in Cornwall with 2023 being a record-breaking year for heat pumps in Cornwall as well as being the first year to see the installation of more than 1,500 MC-certified heat pumps. 2024 is set to be another record-breaking year for this technology as in the first four months of the year Cornwall has installed a monthly average of nearly 150 certified heat pumps. With over 600 of the 663 MCS-certified heat pumps installed this year being air-source heat pumps, Cornwall is witnessing the widespread adoption of particularly this technology. 

Ian Rippin, Chief Executive Officer of MCS, puts the surge in renewable installations down to Cornwall’s plentiful sunshine and government initiatives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) which provides financial incentives for low-carbon heating installations. 

Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said:

“As Cornwall is one of the sunniest spots in the UK, it’s no surprise that more homeowners in Cornwall are investing in solar panels to power their homes with free energy from the sun.”
“But it’s also great to see how the grants and incentives available in Cornwall, like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, continue to play a key role in helping homeowners make the switch to low-carbon heating more accessible and affordable. I look forward to seeing heat pump installations continue to rise both in Cornwall and across the UK.”

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers homeowners and small business owners in England and Wales up to £7,500 towards the upfront costs of the installation of a low-carbon heating system, such as an air-source heat pump or biomass boiler. To qualify for this, the installation must be MCS-certified. The UK government introduced the grant back in May 2022 to encourage homeowners to replace existing fossil-fuel heating systems with more efficient low-carbon heating systems.

From the 8th of May this year, it is now even easier to be eligible for this grant as homeowners are no longer required to install cavity walls or loft insulation to access the £7,500 grant. However, the government still advises that properties should be appropriately insulated as an insulated home is not only more energy efficient, but it saves on heating costs too.