According to the latest statistics from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), battery storage installations increased by 707% year-on-year in March 2024, exceeding 1,000 installations for only the second month in the program’s history.
MCS’s research also found that 68% of total battery storage installations in 2023 were completed in the first quarter of 2024 alone.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS said: “As consumers become more aware of the benefits of installing battery storage alongside solar (both in reducing energy bills and returning excess electricity to the grid), this is an technology that will become increasingly popular. increasingly common.”
The number of solar PV installations remained stable, with a total of 38,851 in the first quarter of 2024.
Heat pumps record ‘second best month’
According to Rippin, there were 4,508 certified heat pump installations in March alone, making it the “second best month in the history of the program.”
In addition, there has been a 30% increase in average monthly heat pump installations compared to 2023, a year already considered the “best year ever” for the technology, with more than 35,000 registered installations for both air source and ground/water source technologies.
In total there were 51,665 installations in the first quarter, with Cornwall considered the best performing area with 1,148 installations.
It is no coincidence that an increase in the grant for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which rose from £5,000 to £7,500 in October, led to the average number of weekly voucher applications rising from 331 to 1,172 in 2023. This momentum has also continued continuing into the new year and showing no sign of slowing down.
MCS also pointed to ECO4, Home Energy Scotland, VAT reduction on battery storage and many more elements that contributed to strong installation figures in the first quarter.
This article first appeared in Solar Power Portal’s sister publication Current±.
