The growth of the solar PV sector offers lessons for accelerating heat pump deployment, a new report by MCS and The MCS Foundation argues.  

Domestic heating contributes 17% of the UK’s emissions, and yet the deployment of heat pumps is off-track, with ten-fold growth required within four years to meet climate targets. This contrasts with solar PV, which has become the most widely adopted microgeneration technology in the UK. 

To understand what lessons can be learned and provide recommendations on how to accelerate heat pump deployment, MCS and The MCS Foundation have produced a report: What can the heat pump sector learn from solar? 

The report maps the development of solar PV in the UK, looking at its successes and failings to identify lessons that can be applied to the heat pump sector. Some of the key findings of the research are: 

• Policy stability is crucial for growth 

• Close consultation with industry is important in ensuring long-term success of policies  

• Innovations in efficiency, manufacturing and installation processes will help to lower costs 

• Economic incentives are a key driver of adoption 

A variety of expert stakeholders from across the solar and heat pump sectors were interviewed as part of the research. This has ensured the findings are based on real-world experiences, with recommendations that are based on insights by industry, for industry.    

Lucy McKenzie, Technical Manager at MCS, said: “The transition to net zero is a massive undertaking. We want to ensure that industry is given all of the support that it needs to deliver high-quality renewables that drive up consumer confidence. 

“That’s what this report sets out to do. While we know that heat pumps and solar panels are two very different technologies, there are lessons that can be learned from the enablers and barriers to solar PV deployment. This report identifies those learnings to make policy recommendations and ultimately accelerate the heat pump market to meet key net zero targets.” 

David Cowdrey, Acting Chief Executive at The MCS Foundation, said: “Heat pumps are the only viable technology for decarbonising heating at scale, yet despite recent progress, heat pump deployment in the UK is far off track.   

“Accelerating the deployment of small-scale renewables is possible, with clear and consistent policy. Taking lessons from the success of solar, the Government must ensure that consumers both know that heat pumps are the right choice financially, and have access to advice to support them on their heat pump journey.” 

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Notes to editors 

The report can be read at: https://mcsfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MCSF-Solar-PV-VS-Heat-Pump-Report-Final.pdf  

Latest MCS data shows that 2024 is already a record year for heat pump installations. Yet we are a long way off the 600,000 installations a year the Government is aiming for by 2028. 

Over 1.5 million MCS certified solar PV installations have been carried out to date, making solar PV far and away the most successful small-scale renewable technology.