Energy secretary Ed Miliband sets target to triple the UK’s solar capacity by 2030.
Announced on Sunday, the Labour party is making moves to ensure installing solar panels on existing homes is made both easy and accessible, with new homes coming with pre-installed panels. The ambition is primed to reduce domestic energy bills and mitigate the climate crisis with cleaner energy supply for UK homes. Labour’s target to triple the UK’s solar capacity by 2030 is running alongside similar targets to double onshore wind and quadruple offshore wind.
“I want to unleash a UK solar rooftop revolution,” said Miliband. “We will encourage builders and homeowners in whatever way we can to deliver this win-win technology to millions of addresses in the UK so people can provide their own electricity, cut their bills and at the same time help fight climate change.”
Miliband has already lifted the de facto ban on onshore wind in a bid to embrace the UK’s renewable energy potential.
The government aims to deliver on this 2030 target in a number of ways. Firstly, although formal planning permission isn’t required to install rooftop solar on a home, there are restrictions as to where on the building they can be placed which has deterred potential buyers in the past. Conservation areas and listed buildings also have more prominent restrictions, all of which will be re-addressed through the government’s new policy,
Alongside the “rooftop revolution,” Miliband has approved three large solar farm projects across the east of England: Gate Burton in Lincolnshire, Sunnica energy farm between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and Mallard Pass between Lincolnshire and Rutland. These solar farm projects had previously been shunned by Tory ministers, making Miliband’s move a controversial one.
Labour’s new plans have the potential to inject major growth into the solar energy sector. This “rooftop revolution” will create well-paid jobs across the UK and help households genuinely reduce their bills as electricity is close to 50% of the average household energy bill, despite gas being a bigger portion of emissions, on average. However, we must ensure we have a solid base of installers, retrofitters, and maintenance professionals ready to deliver these targets for the solar sector. This means assisting suppliers with new projects and company growth, and instilling confidence in end-users to invest in green technology and yield its benefits.
Helping tradespeople, such as roofers and electricians, diversify into renewable energy technologies will be an essential strategy for delivering Labour's solar panel ambition. The precise details of this solar strategy, which are yet to come, will help us gauge the level of ambition and a timeline for rolling out solar power across the UK, and outline the skills, funding and schemes they plan to utilise to deliver the rooftop solar revolution!
Ben Williamson, Green Technologies Consultant, Green Economy
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