Data from MCS shows a record start to the year for certified installations.
There were 210,000 installations in the UK between January and June 2026, up 17% on the previous highest start to a year in 2025 and equivalent to one installation every 74 seconds.
Solar panels were the biggest driver, with almost 150,000 certified installations – a 14% increase on last year’s record. It took nearly 15 years for solar to break its long-standing annual record, and it’s now set to be broken two years running.
Battery storage installations have also risen sharply, almost doubling the number for the same period last year with 36,000 MCS certified installations in 2026 so far. This means last year’s annual record of 40,000 installations has almost been surpassed in just six months.
Solar and Battery Eco-system (Image: Fox-ESS.com)
MCS data shows a growing trend in combining multiple technologies in a single home. One in three installations in 2026 were either delivered onto a home that already had an MCS certified renewable or were part of an installation that combined more than one technology. For example, it is becoming increasingly popular to pair battery storage with other technologies, with 92% of battery installations so far this year going onto properties with solar panels.
Read more: Installer Online
