A new report from the Local Government Association (LGA) has called for all new build homes in the UK to be fitted with solar panels.
The report, titled Empowering local climate action: Advice to government, lays out recommendations for how the UK government and local authorities can build strong collaborations to achieve shared ambitions for responding to the threat of climate change. Among these is a call for a new Future Homes and Buildings Standard to mandate that all new homes must have rooftop solar PV fitted.
The LGA has reiterated the value of mandating that new homes be fitted with rooftop solar following a disappointing result to a government motion set to make this a legal requirement. January 2025 saw government officials reject a bill colloquially referred to as the Sunshine Bill, which would generally require that an area equivalent to at least 40% of a new home’s ground floor area would be covered by a solar system.
According to the LGA, 60% of new homes built in the UK each year do not have solar panels fitted. However, the LGA notes a recent report from the Resolution Foundation found domestic solar panels could deliver the average household an annual energy bill saving of £440.
Chief executive of Good Energy, Nigel Pocklington, called adding solar to new homes a “no brainer”, adding: “Not only can the households themselves save money, they also share lots of power back to the grid—lowering bills and carbon emissions for everyone.”
The report also urges the UK government to grant local authorities greater powers to act on climate change, including by amending the Town and Country Planning Act to give councils powers to mandate higher energy performance standards for new developments and by enabling councils to enforce climate adaptation measures through planning permissions.
The report suggests that the government should facilitate grants and low-interest loans to allow more households to install rooftop solar or other energy-saving retrofitting measures.
Adam Hug, LGA environment spokesperson, said the report reveals the possibility of what local councils can achieve if and when the government provides sufficient powers and funding to local authorities. However, he cautions that more support is needed, noting: “Councils are ready to go further and faster on climate action—but we need a plan that works in partnership with local government. However, the funding or policies needed to empower them to help fully realise this ambition are not yet in place.”
