Globally, deployment of grid-connected photovoltaics (PV) has increased dramatically in
recent years. The UK has seen rapid uptake reaching over 500,000 installations totalling 2.8 GWp
by 2013. PV can be installed in different market segments (domestic rooftop, non-domestic rooftop
and ground-mounted “solar-farms”) covering a broad range of system sizes in a high number of
locations. It is important to gain detailed understanding of what grid-connected PV deployment
looks like (e.g., how it deployed across different geographic areas and market segments), and identify
the major drivers behind it. This paper answers these questions by developing a novel geographical
information systems (GIS)-framework—the United Kingdom Photovoltaics Database (UKPVD)—to
analyze temporal and spatial PV deployment trends at high resolution across all market segments.
Results show how PV deployment changed over time with the evolution of governmental PV
policy support. Then spatial trends as function of local irradiation, rurality (as a proxy of building
and population density) and building footprint (as a proxy for roof-area) are analyzed. We find
in all market segments, PV deployment is strongly correlated with the level of policy support.
Furthermore, all markets show a preference to deploy in rural areas and those with higher irradiation.
Finally, local clustering of PV in all market segments was observed, revealing that PV is not spread
evenly across areas. This work reveals the complex nature of PV deployment, both spatially and by
market segment, reinforcing the need capture this through mapping.