A rooftop revolution: turning possibility into reality

SPS is supporting CPRE’s campaign to urge the government to fully realise the potential of solar on rooftops and other ‘grey’ spaces.

From houses and warehouses to schools, car parks and farm buildings, we can quickly roll out renewable energy without harming wildlife, food security and landscapes.

CPRE latest research – released 23 May 2023

CPRE has published research by the UCL Energy Institute into the true potential for meeting our energy needs if we made full use of the rooftop space available for solar panels across the country.

The research shows that installing solar panels on existing buildings and car parks would enjoy near-universal public support and would reduce the need for large solar farms in our countryside.

As part of the campaign, CPRE is calling on the government to unleash a rooftop revolution by urgently taking these steps:

• Managing the potential impacts of solar energy schemes on the countryside by developing a “land-use framework” that addresses the competing demands on our finite land.
• Implementing roof-first planning policies that prioritise opportunities for generating solar energy from areas that are already built on, while avoiding land that is being viably and sustainably farmed.
• Changing regulations so that rooftop solar on, and with, suitably oriented roofs is a standard requirement for new buildings, including homes.
• Introducing co-ordinated industrial policies and a road map to make solar energy supply chains slavery-free as soon as possible.
• Providing more financial support like government backed low-cost loans for homeowners, small businesses and community groups.
• Making sure that there is investment in our electrical grid so that rooftop solar projects can get connected quickly and affordably.
• Empowering rural communities to set out where and how new renewable energy schemes can be incorporated in the countryside by building upon the examples of both Kendall Town Council audit of rooftop solar and the Community Energy Visioning process, pioneered by CPRE and the Centre for Sustainable Energy.