Ahead of a significant debate in the commons tomorrow (Friday 17th), new research has revealed huge support among the public for the mandatory installation of solar panels on all new buildings.
The New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill – a private members bill sponsored by Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson, will have its second reading, which is the first opportunity for MPs to discuss it.
Known as The Sunshine Bill, the legislation would require that solar photovoltaic generation equipment is installed on all new buildings as standard and that it should cover 40% of the building’s ground floor area.
82% of those responding to the poll – undertaken by YouGov for the The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) – said they supported the bill. Among Labour voters this figure was 87%
Because the progression of Private Member’s Bills, is a precarious process, CPRE have been asking the public to encourage their MPs to attend the debate, needing as it does at least 100 MPs to show up and support the bill, this ensuring it can move onto the next stage of the process.
At the time of writing, 10,072 people had done so.
CPRE has long advocated for rooftop solar and point to research undertaken by UCL that revealed that there is sufficient unused roof space for 117GW of installed solar energy capacity. The government’s own target is to generate 70GW by 2030.
Roger Mortlock, CPRE chief executive, said: ‘Rooftop solar is a common-sense solution to our energy needs that helps make the best use of our finite supply of land. That’s why the Sunshine Bill is such an exciting opportunity to change how the UK generates energy.
‘It’s unbelievable that it isn’t already a requirement for solar panels be fitted as standard on all new homes. The time for change has come. The government must set a target for generating at least 60% of the UK’s solar energy from rooftops and make it easier and cheaper to install panels on existing homes and commercial buildings.’