Mandatory solar panels being installed on 1.5 million new-build properties has the potential to generate surplus electricity capable of powering an additional 1.17 million homes across the UK, according to Good Energy.
Good Energy, which specialises in bespoke heat pump installations, says lawmakers should legislate photovoltaic for every new-build project across the country.
Conservative MP Chris Skidmore has previously urged the scrapping planning permission for solar panels and reviewing whether they should be mandatory on new building projects.
What does the report say about solar panels?
The research suggests homes with solar PV share more generated electricity with the grid than they use.
Householders, therefore, could save a lot of money – a vital consideration in the face of recent energy price volatility.
The findings were made using smart meter data from more than 900 domestic solar customers across the UK to gather insights into electricity generation and export patterns.
Could save homeowners £600 a year
The study also estimates financial benefits for homeowners with solar panels, estimating annual savings of around £600 per household.
Good Energy recently undertook research that found oil-heated households are significantly more likely than average homes to have experienced problems with their heating – despite a ‘steady stream’ of myths and misinformation about heat pumps.
This misinformation was derided as a ‘campaign’ funded by ‘vested interests’ by Minister for Energy Efficiency Lord Callanan. A quarter have been misled to think that heat pumps don’t work in the cold, compared to an average of 15 per cent and more than a third (36 per cent) falsely believe that a heat pump is louder than a fridge, higher than the average of 23 per cent.
Mandating solar power should be ‘core priority’ for next government
Nigel Pocklington, Chief Executive Officer of Good Energy, says the next UK government must commit to domestic energy generation if it wants to hit net zero targets.
He said: “Supporting people to generate their own clean power is a clear and economical way to achieving our climate targets as a country.
“Instigating a strong energy policy that is based on home-grown renewables should be a core priority for the incoming government, and measures such as mandating solar panels on new-build homes would be an important and highly effective component of that – as well as making a meaningful contribution to zero carbon power goals.”
