The UK Government published the Solar Roadmap in June 2025, setting out an ambition to increase national solar capacity from around 20GW to 45-47GW by 20301. The document was created in collaboration with industry, including MCS and Solar Energy UK (SEUK)1.
MCS, which describes itself as the UK's quality mark for small-scale renewables, said the roadmap outlined the ambition "as part of a 'rooftop revolution'"1. MCS data shows that 2025 is officially the best-ever year for rooftop solar in the UK, beating the previous record set in 2011, when demand was underpinned by the Feed-in Tariff scheme1.
"The UK Government published the Solar Roadmap in June 2025, created in collaboration with industry, including MCS and SEUK, which outlined the ambition to increase current capacity of around 20GW to 45-47GW of solar nationally by 2030"
The roadmap's capacity figures cover solar nationally, not rooftop installations alone. The sources do not break the 45-47GW target down by segment, and no interim milestones or delivery mechanisms are reported1.
MCS set out the roadmap's ambition alongside its own account of product certification, published on 8 December 2025, which followed a panel discussion at Solar and Storage Live 20251. The panel included Ian Rippin, chief executive at MCS; Chris Hewett, chief executive at SEUK; Dave Robson, chief executive at Instagroup; and Martin Hessenmueller of TÜV Rheinland, an MCS product certification body1.
SEUK has worked with SolarPower Europe and due diligence professionals on a supply chain standard initiative, which it hopes will become mandatory in the future and which "will make all components and sourcing of a product traceable"1. TÜV Rheinland recently expanded its certification scope to include heat pumps and solar mounting as well as solar PV, and focuses on destructive testing that subjects products to extreme conditions to identify weaknesses1.
The panel also discussed plug-in solar, which is currently not available to the UK market1. MCS said plug-in solar would provide an alternative to rooftop solar for people living in flats and is an important way to address fuel poverty, but that significant challenges remain in testing the technology and ensuring its components are safe1. MCS plans to start the process of reviewing the MCS Product Scheme to assess whether changes should be made to help grow the UK industry1.
Why it matters for households
The roadmap sets the direction for how much solar the UK intends to have installed by 2030, which affects the wider market that household installations sit within. For a home considering solar, the reported figures describe national capacity, not the number of homes involved, and the sources do not state how much of the 45-47GW is expected to come from rooftops1.
The certification discussion bears more directly on what is fitted to a home. MCS is described as the UK's quality mark for small-scale renewables, and its product certification bodies test equipment including solar PV, with TÜV Rheinland's scope now covering heat pumps and solar mounting as well1. The panel linked robust products to confidence across the supply chain, from manufacturers to insurers to consumers1.
Plug-in solar, which the panel said is not currently available in the UK, is described as a route for people living in flats, who may not have a roof of their own to use1. No date has been reported for when, or whether, such products might reach the UK market1.
What happens next
MCS plans to start the process of reviewing the MCS Product Scheme to assess if any changes should be made to help grow the UK industry1. SEUK hopes its supply chain standard initiative will become mandatory in the future; no timetable for that has been reported1. The roadmap's 2030 capacity ambition is the only dated target given in the sources1.