MCS has said the dashboard will provide 'near-real-time updates on MID data'. Image: Getty.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has launched a new online Data Dashboard to provide data and analysis on the volume of renewable energy installations in the UK.
The scheme, which last year launched what it said is the first battery installation standard, has announced that the MCS Dashboard will provide “near-real-time updates" on MCS Installations Database (MID) data, which carries details of every MCS-certified, small-scale renewable energy installation in the UK since 2008. The dashboard will also monitor the uptake and distribution of small-scale renewables – which will be updated every 24 hours – as well as highlighting past and current trends. The Data Dashboard is split into two sections, MCS explained: ‘installation insights’, which details the geographical distribution of renewables, and ‘scheme insights’, which compares growth within different technology types.
Although MCS has said that MID has been used by Ofgem and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as a reference point to help inform policy development, this is the first time that the data will be available in the public domain.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said the company believes “this data will be important to people working on renewable installations and those who influence the policies for our low carbon future”.
Looking to the future, Rippin added: “The MCS Data Dashboard will continue to evolve, and as we look to build its capabilities out even further we seek honest and constructive feedback from users.”
Since unveiling a new qualification-based route for installer certification to help remove first installation barriers, MCS has also recently announced that its latest data shows that the figure for new solar PV installations in 2021 had already been surpassed by August this year.