Understanding Labour’s Rooftop Revolution
The Labour government has unveiled new plans to greatly increase the number of solar panels installed across the UK, in a bid to reduce domestic bills and help tackle climate change. Dubbed the ‘rooftop revolution’, the move will aim to significantly boost the number of British households making use of renewable and clean solar energy.
Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, shared details of the plans which include the development of three new solar farms located in the east of England. Previously blocked by the conservative government, these projects will boost the UK’s solar capacity.
New Solar Sites Revealed
These approved sites are the Mallard Pass on the Rutland-Lincolnshire border, the Sunnica energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border and Gate Burton in Lincolnshire. Together, these solar farms will produce 60% of the solar power installed across Britain in 2023, making a significant step up in national capacity and demonstrating how the industry’s technologies and ambitions are continuing to evolve at impressive rates.
The King is expected to make a speech on the matter and talk about legislation intended to create a new publicly-owned energy company called GB Energy. With this move, the government will also seek to build partnerships with the building industry to unlock private investment, skills and expertise, helping to create jobs and boost the economy with sustainable energy development.
Easier Solar Installations
The ultimate goal will be to simplify and streamline the solar installation process for panels on domestic properties. There are already discussions happening to bring new solar standards into the market for new-builds from 2025. This would help installers of solar panels such as https://gsmlimited.com/services/solar-panels to build their businesses and get more panels to customers with fewer restrictions and challenges.
There may also be new planning regulations that help to facilitate solar technology rather than place restrictions on its use, particularly on listed properties and in conservation areas. Miliband has committed to boosting Britain’s solar power capacity by 2030. He has also committed to quadruple offshore wind, saying that he wants a UK solar revolution across the country’s rooftops, to cut energy bills and fight climate change.
