Solar Energy UK: We need a government that fully embraces solar
The pre-election manifesto from Solar Energy UK highlights how the next government needs to accelerate the installation and storage of solar power.
The trade body believe that the 20GW of solar generation capacity that will be in place by the end of this year needs to grow to 50GW by 2030, this being in line with the current target of reaching 70GW by 2035.
Furthermore the current 8GW of storage capacity needs to be increased to 30GW.
Chris Hewett, Solar Energy UK’S Chief Executive said: ‘The investment appetite is there, at all scales, but there are challenges which must be overcome, and this is where the Government can make a real difference. Our industry understands the challenges, but ask that the next government lights the way to our renewable energy future.’
The group highlight five actions for the next government to take to ensure ‘a sustainable, energy secure United Kingdom.’
- Embracing UK Solar.
- Bringing the benefits of solar and storage to new homes.
- Turbo-charging the network for net zero.
- Building skills for British green jobs.
- Implement a renewables-first approach to market reform
In the manifesto, Solar Energy UK call for local planning authorities to be provided with more resources and their officers upskilled to deal with solar planning applications.
They also highlight the need for solar installation on agricultural land, endorsing ‘the NFU’s stance that generating energy can work alongside food production.’
The manifesto addresses the need to maximise solar rooftop potential, saying the new government should look at installing solar on more public buildings and giving warehouses support to maximise the potential of their rooftops.
Smaller, domestic installations are especially important, they say. The manifesto highlights that installing solar in a new build is more efficient and cheaper to install than retrofitting and would benefit the homeowner by reducing their energy bills by up to £2,120 per year.
More local solar generated power, couple with appropriate storage would lend itself to the growth of peer-to-peer trading, in which schools, community projects, and businesses can buy and sell power in a local network. This would benefit local consumers as well as taking pressure off the wider grid network.
Read the full manifesto here
