Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for requiring all new industrial and commercial buildings to include extensive solar panel coverage on their roofs.

The Building Regulations energy performance standards are deliberately couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used, allowing builders the flexibility to innovate and select the most appropriate solutions for the circumstances. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels because of building orientation, roof design, or over shading. We do, however, plan to consult on uplifting the energy efficiency standards of the building regulations in the coming months, including those for new non-domestic buildings.