From 2027, the majority of new homes in England will be required to have rooftop solar panels, according to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. He described the move as “just common sense” during an interview with the BBC, adding that households could save around £500 a year on their energy bills.
The full details of this plan are expected to be released later in the autumn. The measure will form part of the Future Homes Standard, a broader government strategy aimed at improving energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions in residential buildings.
Although current building regulations don’t oblige developers to install solar panels on new properties, this is set to change. Miliband’s proposal will make solar installation mandatory for most new-build homes in a bid to promote sustainability.
The Home Builders Federation has expressed support for the idea in principle. However, it has raised concerns that excessive red tape could slow down progress, especially when it comes to meeting the government’s goal of constructing 1.5 million new homes by the middle of 2029.
Interestingly, the concept isn’t entirely new. The previous Conservative government under Rishi Sunak had also consulted on similar regulations. One proposal suggested that solar panels should cover at least 40% of a new building’s ground area.
Miliband criticised the earlier policy framework, arguing that it lacked impact. He pointed out that the old system allowed developers to avoid installing any solar panels at all if they couldn’t meet the minimum coverage threshold.
Under the government’s updated plans, there will be a significant change in how solar panel coverage is enforced on new homes. Rather than insisting on a strict 40% rooftop coverage, developers will now be required to install some solar panels even if they cannot meet this exact target. This approach allows for flexibility, with exceptions only made in rare and exceptional circumstances where installation is genuinely not feasible.
When questioned about the potential impact on house prices, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband expressed confidence that the cost of installing solar panels would not be passed on to buyers. He suggested that the overall effect on property prices would be minimal, indicating that the benefits of lower energy bills could outweigh any additional upfront costs.
Neil Jefferson, a spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation, acknowledged that developers are becoming more familiar and comfortable with incorporating solar technology into new builds. However, he urged the government to strike a careful balance in its regulations. Jefferson warned that overly strict mandates or complicated exemption processes could have unintended consequences, such as slowing down the delivery of urgently needed new homes.
He pointed out that if every individual property requires a formal exemption to avoid the solar panel requirement, this could create unnecessary administrative delays. Such bureaucracy, he argued, would place an additional burden on developers and risk hampering the government’s target of building 1.5 million new homes by mid-2029. Therefore, while the principle of mandating solar panels is widely supported, careful implementation will be crucial to avoid disrupting housing supply.
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