On Tuesday, the government announced the latest update to the Future Homes Standard.
The guidance, which governs the way that new homes have to be designed in England, means that from 2028, no new homes will be on the gas network – and will instead be on a heat network or get a heat pump – and they must have solar panels on their roofs covering an area equivalent to 40% of the ground floor space.
Developers will be required to install solar panels and heat pumps in all new homes in England as part of updated planning requirements published by the government.
The updated standard also states that plug-in panels that homeowners can self-install on balconies are set to become available in supermarkets in the coming months. These small versions of the green tech are already deployed across Europe, but are not currently sold in the UK due to safety regulations.
When announcing the new measures, designed to increase solar energy usage, the energy secretary said the Iran war had shown clean power was “essential”.
While the move has been welcomed by some energy companies, developers have raised concerns about the scale of solar required.
