Plug-in panels and boost to rooftop installations among Government's solar plans
People living in flats and rented homes could get the chance to install 'plug-in' solar panels on roofs and balconies under Government plans.
The move forms part of the solar road-map set out by the Government to rapidly speed up the rollout of solar power across the UK as part of its efforts to shift the country to clean electricity by 2030.
Ministers said households could save around £500 a year on their bills by installing rooftop solar panels, which could also boost jobs and improve energy security.
The Government has already said it will make sure new build homes will have solar panels by default through the future homes standard, lowering their bills.
As part of the solar road-map, the Government is also launching a call for evidence to understand how to harness the potential for solar on car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It also says it is working with the Green Finance Institute, the finance sector, consumer bodies and solar firms to find financial solutions to make it possible for more households and businesses to install the green tech and add to the 1.5 million homes which already have panels on their roofs.
And it will launch a safety review to make 'plug-in' solar arrays, which work the same way as roof top panels except they are portable and connected directly into plug sockets, available in the UK.
Officials say plug-in solar is currently unavailable in the UK due to longstanding regulations, but in Germany there were around 435,000 new plug-in solar panel installations in 2024 alone, saving residents in flats money on their bills.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: ' Families have been paying the price for the fossil fuel rollercoaster for years.
'Through solar, we are rolling out the quickest to build and one of the cheapest forms of energy for families to start saving hundreds on their energy bills, all whilst helping tackle the climate crisis.'
The Government has approved more than 3 gigawatts of 'nationally significant' solar since the election – which it says is the equivalent of powering more than 500,000 homes.
The solar road-map sets out steps to deliver 45-47 gigawatts of solar by 2030, as part of the push to the UK to being overwhelmingly run on clean power by the end of the decade.
Officials said the boost to solar will support up to 35,000 jobs and – in the face of concerns over competing use for land – will use less than 0.5% of total UK land.
The road-map comes after the independent advisory Climate Change Committee said the new Government was on track with ramping up offshore and onshore wind installations to meet its 2030 targets, but was off track with solar installations.
Solar Energy UK chief executive and co-chair of the solar taskforce, Chris Hewett said: 'The Solar Road-map highlights dozens of practical measures needed to expand solar generation, boost the supply of cheaper and more secure power, foster new industries, create skilled jobs, boost biodiversity and slash our greenhouse gas emissions.
'The sector is already growing fast, with around 700 small-scale rooftop installations being completed each day, but needs to grow faster.'
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