The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is aiming for an increase from 18GW to 45-47GW of solar by 2030. The government has announced an array of policies to support this with a key feature being small-scale solar; the 2025 Solar Roadmap called for a ‘rooftop revolution’. Small-scale solar can be deployed in various settings, with rooftop installations spanning domestic homes, social and private rental properties, commercial buildings, public facilities, and government sites, alongside emerging opportunities for car parks and balconies.
The government has confirmed that the upcoming Future Homes Standards will require solar panels on new build. It estimates that a typical home could save £530 on the annual energy bill through the installation of solar. The New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill is currently in its second reading. There is also potential for distributed solar in supporting small local grid networks and local power sharing. There may be challenges associated with the planned increase in small-scale solar, particularly with grid connectivity, distribution grid management, planning, regulation, skills and guidance.
This POSTnote aims to summarise the economic and regulatory framework for small-scale solar, focusing on the rooftop solar build out, looking at potential benefits alongside barriers to deployment.
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