Compulsory rooftop panels should end need for large rural solar farms, countryside campaigners say
Compulsory rooftop solar panels should end the need for huge solar farms being built on agricultural land, campaigners have said.
Ed Miliband announced yesterday that the future homes standard (FHS), which will be published in autumn, is expected to require new residential properties to have solar panels by default.
The Energy Secretary said: “Solar panels can save people hundreds of pounds off their energy bills, so it is just common sense for new homes to have them fitted as standard.
“So many people just don’t understand why this doesn’t already happen. With our plans, it will.”
CPRE, the countryside charity, urged Mr Miliband to use this to stop huge solar farms being built on agricultural land.
In particular, North and East Yorkshire have seen a raft of planning applications for rural solar farms being submitted.
Only last month, despite local objections, the Government granted permission for a solar farm the size of the city of Durham, to power 100,000 homes, to be built in the East Riding.
Campaigns lead Jackie Copley said: “This is a very promising sign from the government.
“CPRE has long campaigned for widespread rooftop solar, which would harness the potential of the UK’s roofs to generate huge amounts of clean and truly sustainable energy.
“With rooftop solar, meaningful climate action does not come at the expense of a thriving and beautiful countryside.
“This is in contrast to mega solar farms, which damage natural landscapes and productive farmland.
“We now urge the government to go further, setting a target for generating at least 60 per cent of the UK’s solar energy from rooftops, making it easier for warehouses and other industrial buildings to install rooftop solar panels, and speeding up the rollout of new grid connections.”