Builders will be mandated to install solar panels on the “vast majority” of new homes under plans developed by Ed Miliband. Under plans to be published later this year, developers will be forced to add panels unless buildings fall into special categories, such as being covered in shade.
Speaking to the BBC, the Energy Secretary claimed that the move would leave people £500 better off per year thanks to decreased energy bills, with the move described as “common sense.” He said: “40% of homes currently have solar panels, it has got to be much, much higher than that. It is going to be almost universal but there will be rare exceptions where solar panels won’t be on if they will simply make no difference.
“But for the vast, vast majority of homes, homes will be built, solar panels will be there saving something like £500 for the homeowner -It is just common sense.”
The Home Builders Federation says that it is in favour of the plans in principle but warns against creating too much of an administrative burden on the system which could lead to house sales taking longer to go through.
Neil Jefferson, head of the Home Builders Federation said: “The government just needs to take care to make sure that it does not prescribe and mandate to much on rooftops.
“If every single home needs to be applied for on an exemption basis that will slow up the delivery of desperately needed new homes, that administration will be burdensome.”
The new rules will be part of the Future Homes Standard, which will detail plans to make homes more energy efficient and produce less carbon.
The plans are expected to be laid out in the autumn, with an anticipated grace period introduced to allow developers to adjust to the change in regulations.
Currently, builders are not obligated to install solar panels on new buildings.
The previous Conservative government developed plans that would have required new build homes to have rooftop solar panels covering the equivalent of 40% of the building’s ground area but were unable implement them before their election defeat.
Miliband added: “The problem about the previous system was that it said you would had to have a certain percentage of coverage of solar panels but if you couldn’t achieve that percentage you didn’t have to do anything at all.
“Under our plans, we are not going to say that. We are going to say even if you can’t hit 40% you will still have to have some solar panels, except in rare exceptional cases.”