The Government announces that Future Homes Standard will explicitly promote the installation of solar panels on new homes for the first time, subject to practical limits.
Commenting on the news, Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The main barriers to mandating solar panels on all new buildings are grid costs and grid delays. Although not yet fully resolved, the Government has made real progress to fixing those issues, particularly through changes to the connection process, and planning reforms that ensure grid infrastructure funding goes further and faster.
If grid connections are timely and not cost prohibitive, solar for new buildings is deliverable and we support that ambition. We urge the Government to ensure planning is reformed so that councils cannot oppose solar on the grounds of being out of character.”
Also commenting is David Woon, head of net zero engineering and operations at Ennovus Solutions: “This is incredibly positive news, and I agree that it makes sense for all new builds to incorporate solar energy. However, the true benefit will be realised if this mandate is implemented in a way that maximises the potential of each installation, rather than simply meeting a minimum requirement. We too often observe new builds fitted with just one or two panels, which significantly limits the long-term advantages for both the homeowner and the environment.”
For more on the announcement visit www.rdr.link/dbe003
