On Monday 30 June, the UK government published its Solar Roadmap, which outlines a plan of action to support the significant increase in solar deployment to help achieve the Clean Power Mission and deliver 45-47GW of solar by 2030.
The Solar Roadmap has been developed through extensive industry collaboration, led by the Solar Taskforce. Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, was member of this Taskforce.
The Solar Roadmap calls for a ‘rooftop revolution’ throughout the UK, driven by upcoming initiatives such as the Future Homes Standard and Warm Homes Plan. It addresses the potential barriers to achieving these outcomes and the steps required to overcome them before the end of the decade.
A key takeaway from the action plan is that the solar sector could support up to 35,000 jobs by 2030, which is double the current number. This expansion of labour within the solar industry is something MCS has been witnessing. Data from the MCS Data Dashboard shows that, in the last 5 years – from June 2020 to June 2025 – the number of MCS certified solar PV contractors has increased by more than 250% to reach 4,222 in total. This is underpinned by the growing number of installations, with the start of 2025 showing the best opening quarter for certified solar installations in more than a decade.
You can read the full Solar Roadmap here.
Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said: “We welcome the government’s Solar Roadmap and were privileged to be a part of the Solar Taskforce that helped to develop it. With the focus being put on a ‘rooftop revolution’ across the UK, it’s crucial that consumers have access to qualified installers who deliver installations to industry-recognised standards, giving them confidence in home-grown energy. This supports our vision of seeing MCS certified products in every UK home.
“It’s also great to see that MCS research is driving a review of consumer protections in the renewables sector. As the industry looks to scale solar deployment significantly, it’s critical that adequate protections are in place for consumers. This is why, as part of the redeveloped MCS, we are overhauling our requirements for consumer protection. This includes proposed changes to financial protections, which was the subject of a consultation that closed in May. The response to this consultation will be released soon, collating our findings.
“Industry collaboration will continue to be a key driving force behind the delivery of the Solar Roadmap, and we look forward to continuing our work with the government, consumer bodies, and the wider solar sector as we push towards Clean Energy by 2030.”