UK Residential Small Scale Renewables Market Report 2024

Stay ahead of the curve in the UK residential renewable energy market. What are the latest consumer attitudes towards residential small scale renewables? What impact are legislative factors having on the market? Answer these questions and more with this comprehensive industry report.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

Upfront costs are a key barrier to adoption

Consumer interest in small scale renewables is rising. Mintel’s market research shows that one in three homeowners would consider installing solar panels and one in five would consider a heat pump. However, upfront costs remain a significant barrier to adoption. Financial incentives and more attractive finance options would be the most significant way to encourage installation of green technologies.

Skills shortage remains key industry challenge

One of the biggest challenges for small scale renewable deployment is to have a large enough skilled and trained workforce that is able to install these technologies that can meet consumer demand. To bridge this skills gap, various initiatives have been launched. But, to successfully enhance the sector’s growth capabilities, higher attention and collaboration between policymakers and the industry are necessary.

Purchase the full industry report for a complete analysis of the UK market, including market dynamics and competitive landscape. Readers may also be interested in Mintel’s UK Renewable Energy Market Report.

Report Scope

For the purposes of this report, Mintel has included the following small scale renewable technologies:

• Solar PV – Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity. PV cells are made from layers of semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced. Groups of cells are mounted together in panels or modules which can be mounted on a roof. Most PV systems are made up of panels that fit on top of an existing roof, but solar tiles are also available. A typical domestic installation has a capacity of up to 4kW.
• Heat pumps – devices that use a small amount of electricity to absorb the natural heat from a cold space and release it in a warmer one. It does this by employing the same method of heat transfer as a fridge, only in reverse. Additionally, reversible heat pumps can provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. Heat pumps can utilise air as the cold space source or ground.
• Solar thermal panels – these absorb the sun’s energy and use it to heat household water, typically supplying up to 70% of hot water requirements.
• Biomass boilers – these use natural materials sourced from plants, wood and other living organisms, that can be used alongside combustion to produce heat, or can be converted into fuel to power boilers.

While the outlook for the market is positive, due to long-term structural growth drivers, affordability and a lack of installers remain key limiting factors.

Claudia Preedy
Senior B2B Analyst