Successfully completed: petition for mandatory solar panels on buildings, and for fossil fuels to be banned in new buildings

See below for original petition text.

Update: the Government has, in effect proposed what we wanted, so we need to get support for that option in the Government consultation (which now closes on March 27th having been extended):

Calling on solar pv supporters – tell the govt consultation you want option 1 for future homes standard: ‘Option 1 (recommended): Solar PV panel coverage equivalent of 40% of the building’s foundation area for side-lit spaces and 75% for top-lit spaces.’ Go to gov.uk/government/consultations/the-future-homes-and-buildings-standards-2023-consultation/the-future-homes-and-buildings-standards-2023-consultation

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The Government is failing to ensure that new buildings are fitted with solar panels or heated by low carbon systems. Now the Government is falling behind the EU which is legislating to make solar panels mandatory on all new buildings.

The Government has said that new buildings must (from June 15th) emit around 30 percent less emissions compared to existing buildings. This will never ensure that new buildings have both solar panels and fossil-fuel-free heating. Indeed, under their regulations, poorly resourced local authorities may be hoodwinked by developers so that little emission reduction is actually achieved.

Meanwhile Germany is busy implementing a plan of making solar pv mandatory on all new commercial buildings and the standard practice on new homes as well. Why cannot this be done in the UK? According to the Building Research Establishment, if solar pv was installed on just all south-facing commercial roofspace ‘this could provide approximately 50% of the UK’s electricity demand’. Fitting solar panels on all houses could generate massive quantities of solar energy on top of this.

The Government has no real plans to ban fossil fuel boilers. In fact the gas industry talks of ‘blending’ hydrogen with natural gas sometime in the future using so-called  ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers. The Government’s current plans lack clear means to achieve their heat pump targets apart from some as yet unspecified ‘market-based mechanism’.

Now that the EU is legislating to phase in a requirement that all new buildings be fitted with solar panels, it is important to redouble pressure on MPs and the Government to make solar pv mandatory on all new buildings. Those who voted ‘Remain’ will say that the UK’s failure to do this represents how leaving the EU is weakening the UK’s drive for green energy. On the other hand environmentally conscious Leavers will say that the  UK has an opportunity to mandate fitting of solar panels more quickly than the EU’s minimum timetable.

Please write to your MP asking them to press the Government to at least to keep up with the EU, or preferably to introduce mandatory solar panels on new buildings more quickly than The EU! You can see some coverage of the EU’s proposals at https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/05/18/eu-wants-rooftop-pv-mandate-for-public-commercial-buildings-by-2025-residential-by-2029/

Sign the petition BELOW for mandatory solar panels on buildings and fossil fuels to be banned in new buildings. 

Please sign this petition (below) and, preferably, sign up to receive further information on the this green buildings campaign.  The petition will be sent to the relevant ministers, Michael Gove (local government) and Greg Hands (Energy) in England and also in the Scottish and Welsh Assembly Governments. We hope, later, among other actions to launch an official petition to the Government.

Further background information on this issue is available here.

Please see the latest Green Buildings webinar recording of the event which was held on November 16th.  Speakers: Kevin Holland, Managing Director of Solar Shed Emily Rice, Scotland Policy Analyst for Solar Energy UK Andrew Warren, Chair, British Energy Efficiency Federation (BEEF). Go to youtube at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spCPGaBhUYQ&t=139s