Plug-in solar panels and the rooftop revolution

The UK Government has announced that plug-in solar panels will be available ‘within months’. This will help reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, in response to the Middle East conflict.

It will work to amend regulations and create new safety standards to make plug-in solar panels available as soon as possible. This means you should be seeing plug-in solar panels for sale in shops some time this year.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said:

“The government is determined to fight people’s corner in this crisis, which is why we have acted to prevent unfair practices like price gouging and provided immediate help for the most vulnerable facing spiralling heating oil prices. 

“… our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.”

Whenever we talk about solar panels, a common response is “I can’t have solar panels, I live in a flat!”

Also, our research into which UK areas have the most solar panels shows that the lowest-ranking areas are those with a high percentage of flats.

A 2018 report by the UK Government revealed that around 380,000 homes in England had a balcony. This offers huge potential for the UK to generate more clean power and will help renters save money on their energy bills.

How do plug-in solar panels work?

In countries like Germany, people who live in flats can use plug-in solar panels to generate electricity. These panels attach to a balcony and plug directly into the mains electricity.

Are plug-in solar panels legal in the UK?

At the moment, plug-in solar panels aren’t allowed in the UK due to safety regulations. But the roadmap talks about a safety review of plug-in solar panels to give people who live in flats a chance to adopt solar power.

Due to solar’s rise in popularity, it’s more likely that if you move home, it’ll be into a house that already has solar panels.

As part of the Future Homes Standard, most new build homes will have to have solar panels installed. The Future Homes Standard will also ensure new builds have low-carbon heating such as heat pumps, as well as proper home insulation.

So, if you’re planning on moving into a new build home, you’ll be able to benefit from solar power as soon as you move in.

Our research into what people think about solar power shows that the upfront cost of solar panels is one of the main obstacles to adoption.

Solar panels cost around £6,100 to install, on average. And an average 5kWh battery storage system costs around £4,600.

There are no UK Government schemes, similar to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, to help with the cost of solar panels. But the UK Government will work with the financial and solar industries to provide low-cost lending options for solar panels. These options might include personal loans and solar panel leasing.

There may be further detail on financial support in the upcoming Warm Homes Plan. This will unlock £13.2 billion of funding for people to upgrade their homes with:

• solar panels
• battery storage
• heat pumps
• home insulation

The UK Government will also use the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to help social housing landlords install solar panels. This will help improve the EPC ratings of the buildings they own.

Solar panels are one of the key recommendations to improving your home’s EPC rating. And research from Rightmove shows that C-rated homes tend to be priced around 15% more than F-rated ones.

The UK Government will work with the Royal Chartered Institute of Surveyors (RICS) to update how it assesses property values. This improved assessment will consider how energy efficiency and sustainability influence a home’s value.

Solar panels feature as a recommendation on the current EPC report. But a recent consultation on EPC reform proposes going one step further with a ‘smart readiness’ score. This would capture the value of renewable technologies in the home.

A Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) is currently being tested in 16 countries across the European Union. While the name and concept are similar to what’s being proposed in the UK, they aren’t the same thing.

If the proposed EPC reforms go ahead, introducing this score from 2026 will better capture the value of solar power in the EPC report.

The roadmap mentions the development of a voluntary Community Benefit Protocol. This protocol would let people who live near solar farms benefit from the energy that’s being generated near them. Alongside this protocol is a consultation on introducing a mandatory community benefit fund for people who live near low carbon energy projects.

This focus on community energy is also a key part of Great British Energy’s work alongside the Local Power Plan.

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