Residential rooftop solar campaign win, but what about commercial roofs?

Solar panels will be required on most new-build homes in England by 2027, under new plans to be announced by the Government. This is great news but we want to see the plans go much further and include roofs on warehouses, data centres, commercial buildings and car parks.

CPRE Hertfordshire and our CPRE colleagues all across England have been campaigning for several years in support of rooftop solar as a key means of getting to net zero.

And you can help! See below for details.

Why rooftop solar?

Putting solar panels on roofs is a win for everyone.

Rooftop solar helps protect the countryside and the environment, by reducing the need for ground-mounted solar installations. Meeting national energy targets through ground-based solar farms would require an enormous amount of land in the countryside – land that is needed for growing food, and for supporting nature and wildlife, and for our own health and well-being.

In addition, onsite rooftop solar generation results in lower energy bills and tangible financial savings for the rooftop owner – residential, commercial, or in the case of government buildings, all of us as taxpayers.

CPRE’s rooftop solar campaign

Our campaign has long highlighted these benefits and focused the spotlight on how rooftop solar is an instrumental part of mitigating the impacts of climate change. Earlier this year, over 10,000 CPRE supporters backed our call for the government to adopt the Sunshine Bill – a law that would see solar panels installed on all new suitable homes.

So it’s a big campaign win, the news that solar panels will be required on most new homes in England by 2027. This is according to reports in The Times and The Guardian.

The next step in our campaign

While it’s great news that solar panels will be required on new homes, this just doesn’t go far enough. We also want to see solar panels on new and existing warehouses, data centres, commercial buildings, government buildings, and car park canopies.

What’s more, recent YouGov polling shows this view is widespread: 82% of the public support rooftop solar on new homes and commercial buildings.

We want the Government to take much bolder action in this regard, and Ministers are listening. It was reported in The Times that Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, said “Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses”. In France, solar panels are required over all car parks of 80 or more spaces, so why not here?

Three ways that you can help

Here are three things that you can do to help.

Sign CPRE’s national petition

Please sign our solar petition. Whether you want solar on your own home, are keen to see solar panels on the roof of your local supermarket, or are concerned about a nearby solar farm proposal – you can help push for real change.

We are calling on the Government to:

1. Deliver on plans for solar panels to be fitted on all new-build homes in England by 2027, including affordable and social rent homes
2. Put an end to ‘wasted space’ and retrofit all suitable domestic, commercial and public buildings with rooftop solar, particularly warehouses, data centres and car parks
3. Strengthen policy so that solar development is not put on beautiful and tranquil landscapes or our best and most versatile farmland

Sign our solar petition

With the right policy and incentives, rooftop solar can power millions of homes and businesses across the country for the long term.

Write to your MP

We have written to all Hertfordshire MPs asking them for their support on rooftop solar. Please let your MP know this is an issue you care about and that you want to see them hold the Government to account for going further, as outlined above.

Send us photos

We’re keen to highlight rooftop solar progress locally across Hertfordshire. Do you know of a warehouse, data centre or business premises that has installed solar panels? We’d love to see your photos of these (photos must be taken from public rights of way of course). Please send us an email with photos attached, to Communications@cpreherts.org.uk  We will acknowledge receipt, and will ask for your permission if we decide to publish your images.