Solar Panels on the Horizon for New Homes, Stirring Debate
Required homes to be instated with solar panels commencing from 2027, enforcing a drive towards net-zero emissions.
Get ready to see solar panels sprouting up on rooftops of nearly every new residential construction beginning in 2027, a move some have labeled an "ideological crusade."
According to The Times, this policy change could tack on an extra £3,300 to the cost of building a semi-detached or terraced house, and a £4,000 premium for a detached home [1][2][4].
Andy Mayer, energy analyst at the Institute of Economic Affairs, doesn't mince words: "It's the homeowner, not a minister, who should decide what adorns their new home. If the government's energy savings claims ring true, there'd be no need for a mandate."
The government aims to construct 1.5 million homes within this parliament while decarbonizing the energy grid by the end of the decade [3]. In the final quarter of 2024, solar panels were installed in 42% of new homes—up from just 13% in 2023's equivalent period [2].
Mayer further comments on the timing of the announcement, stating that it demonstrates "extraordinary contempt" following catastrophic blackouts that affected 60 million Europeans due to solar over-supply in Spain [2].
The Blair Conflict
The report emerges a day after Sir Tony Blair blasted current net zero policies as "irrational" and "doomed to fail."
Sir Keir Starmer's camp fires back, describing the government's stance on net zero as "very practical and pragmatic" [6]. Though Starmer seems to align with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in this spat involving three of the six living former and current Labour leaders, his spokesperson refuses to promise that Miliband will remain in office for the duration of the parliament [6].
Prime Minister's Office rumors indicate that a major reshuffle is imminent later this year. Nevertheless, Blair does gather an unforeseen endorsement from an unlikely source: the once-Corbyn-backing Unite Union. Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, declares that her union is "not against net zero, but it won't be achieved without substantial investment in new jobs."
Key Insights
- The UK government plans to mandate solar panel installation on most new homes starting in 2027 as part of the Future Homes Standard.
- Mandating solar panels is estimated to incur additional costs between £3,000 and £4,000 on new home construction.
- Homeowners can potentially save around £1,000 annually based on government claims, though the actual savings may vary.
- The payback period for the solar panel investment ranges from three to over twenty years, depending on the source.
- Sir Tony Blair labels current net zero policies as irrational and doomed to fail. Keir Starmer's stance on the issue appears split among Labour leaders.
- The UK government's Future Homes Standard will mandate solar panel installation on most new homes starting in 2027, a move some call an "ideological crusade."
- The extra cost of incorporating solar panels into new residential construction could range between £3,000 and £4,000 for semi-detached/terraced and detached homes, respectively.
- Energy analyst Andy Mayer criticizes the policy, claiming that homeowners should have the freedom to decide their home's aesthetics and arguing against the need for a mandate.
- Despite the likely cost increase, the government aims to construct 1.5 million homes and decarbonize the energy grid by the end of the decade.
- solar panels were installed in 42% of new homes in the final quarter of 2024, up from 13% in the equivalent period of 2023.
- A day after Sir Tony Blair criticized net zero policies as "irrational" and "doomed to fail," the government faces pushback from Sir Keir Starmer, who defends the stance as "very practical and pragmatic." However, Starmer's spokesperson refuses to promise that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will remain in office for the duration of the parliament.
