Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to incentivise the installation of solar panels on (a) commercial and (b) industrial roofs; and whether he has plans to prioritise the use of these spaces over agricultural land for renewable energy projects.

The Government incentivises commercial/industrial rooftop solar in various ways, including permitted development rights, favourable tax treatment, and the Smart Export Guarantee.

Solar is an important part of our strategy for improving energy performance of buildings. New building standards will ensure new buildings are fit for a Net Zero future. The Warm Homes Plan will set out pathways for decarbonisation of all buildings, including non-domestic ones. Further details will be set out by October.

Achieving our ambitious clean power mission will require rapid deployment across rooftops and ground-mounted solar farms. However, planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed land.