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Closed Require all new builds to have solar panels as condition of planning permission

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Make it mandatory for all new buildings to be fitted with solar panels as a condition of planning permission.

This should help achieve our net zero goals without sacrificing more areas of beauty. It should also help to bring down household bills, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

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  • Related activity

    MPs debate solar rooftop installations

    On Wednesday 22 March, MPs debated solar rooftop installations.

    This was a Westminster Hall debate, led by Caroline Lucas MP. Graham Stuart MP, The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, responded to the debate. MPs discussed whether installation of solar panels on all suitable new-build homes should be made mandatory.

    What are Westminster Hall debates?

    Westminster Hall is the second Chamber of the House of Commons.

    Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.

    Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.

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  • Petition closed

  • Government responded to this petition

    We do not mandate solar panels to enable innovation and tailoring to individual sites. However we expect most developers will use solar panels to meet the recent uplift in energy efficiency standards.

    Read the response in full

    The Government is committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and renewable energy, such as that generated from solar panels, is a key part of our strategy to get to net zero.

    Planning policy cannot set specific building standards, that is the role of Building Regulations. The Building Regulations set standards for the design, construction and alteration of buildings, which means they are an important mechanism for improving the energy efficiency of buildings. The Regulations are technology-neutral and therefore do not ban or mandate specific technologies. This provides developers with flexibility to innovate and choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for their site. For instance, some homes may not be suitable for solar panels due to reasons such as shading, orientation, and roof size/shape.

    We recognise, however, the important role that rooftop solar panels can play in making buildings more energy efficient. We must therefore take the opportunity, where appropriate, to fit solar panels.

    In December 2021 the Government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards, which came into force in June 2022. The uplift delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions, with new homes now expected to produce around 30% less CO2 emissions and new non-domestic buildings expected to produce around 27% less CO2 emissions compared to those built to the previous standards. We expect that to meet the new standards, most new homes and buildings will be built with solar panels. Where they do not include solar panels, they are likely to include other low carbon heating technology, such as heat pumps.

    The uplift is a stepping-stone towards the 2025 Future Homes and Buildings Standards, which will deliver even higher energy efficiency standards. From 2025, new homes and buildings will be ‘zero carbon ready’, which means that no further retrofit work for energy efficiency will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise. We expect heat pumps will become the primary heating technology for new buildings under the Future Homes and Buildings Standards. Other green technologies, such as solar panels, will also continue to play an important role.

    With regards to the planning framework, our National Planning Policy Framework sets out policies that encourage local planning authorities to consider the use and supply of renewable and low carbon energy and heat through plan making and when determining planning applications.

    There are a range of nationally set permitted development rights that allow for the installation of micro-generation equipment, including rooftop solar panels on domestic and non-domestic properties, without having to make a planning application. We will keep the existing permitted development rights for solar equipment under regular review.

    Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

  • Government will respond to this petition

    This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.

  • Petition published

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    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 20 December 2022.