A new report from the Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for all new homes to have solar panels installed as a matter of course.
Just days after we learned that the long-awaited Future Homes Standard is unlikely to proscribe the inclusion of wood burning stoves in newly-built houses, the LGA believe that the inclusion of solar panels should be mandatory.
The purpose of the Future Homes Standard is to ensure that all newly built houses in England will be carbon neutral (once the grid itself is decarbonised) through a combination of low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency.
One might assume that the inclusion of solar panels would go a long way towards achieving this goal, but it is not expected that such an obligation will be included in the FHS.
While 40% of homes being built today do feature a solar installation, that still leaves 60% of new homes without, a situation that the LGA have previously referred to as a first- and second-class housing supply.
The report, titled ‘Empowering local climate action: advice to government’ claims that requiring new builds to have solar power would save the householders around £440 per year, as well as helping meet green targets.
Feeling that local authorities will need to play a crucial role in the transition to net zero, the LGA’s report calls on the government to provide them with more funding and clear policies to enable them to do that.
The report identifies four areas in which action in needed: decarbonising housing, reforming the energy system, expanding clean power and preserving biodiversity and restoring natural habitats.
In order to make the above deliverable, the LGA make the following proposals:
- A unified national-local climate governance framework and the introduction of Local Climate Action Plans.
- Legislative reforms to give councils more powers to set climate targets and raise energy standards.
- A shift to multi-year, outcome-focused funding to unlock private sector investment.
- The creation of a Green Finance Delivery Support Unit and risk-sharing mechanisms to accelerate investment.
- A green skills strategy, including new apprenticeships and taskforces to match future demand.
Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the LGA, said: ‘This report sets out what councils can achieve and how to do it, if the Government is able to back them with the powers and funding to turn this into a reality.
‘Councils are ready to go further and faster on climate action – but we need a plan that works in partnership with local government. However, the funding or policies needed to empower them to help fully realise this ambition are not yet in place.
‘The Government should use the Spending Review to ensure that councils are sufficiently funded, and take on the policy recommendations that will help local government fulfil its role in tackling climate change.”’
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