Eco-activists back plan for mandatory new build solar panels

Eco-activists are rejoicing at the prospect of almost all UK new homes having to include solar panels from 2027. 

The government proposal – not yet announced but seen by The Times – would mandate house holders to include panels.

The change would reportedly add around £3,300 to the cost of building a semi-detached or terraced house, rising to around £4,000 for a detached property, with the typical household saving over £440 per year on energy bills. 

In most cases the panels would be equivalent in size to 40 per cent of a building’s ground area.

Greenpeace backs the plan and a spokesperson says: 

“For too long we’ve wasted the free energy that falls on the roofs of houses every single day. Now, people living in new build homes will save hundreds of pounds every year on their energy bills, thanks to this common sense decision from the government. 

“It shows the drive for net zero can slash both emissions and bills. The government must now ensure that everyone feels the benefits of cheap solar on their roofs, as well as every hospital and school, so they too can enjoy huge savings and use that cash to improve our public services. 

“The government must also urgently reform the UK’s energy system as a whole and stop gas from setting the price of electricity so that everyone, whether living in a new build or not, gets to enjoy the lower bills that cheap, clean renewable power can bring.”

Currently, 60% of new homes built do not have rooftop solar panels, with 40% having at least some installed.

Earlier this week the Local Government Association called for mandatory solar panels on new builds, as part of a suite of recommendations including a retrofitting programme to improve energy efficiency on older parts of the housing stock.

Kindly shared by EstateAgentTODAY

Picture courtesy of Adobe