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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require all new (1) homes, and (2) industrial and commercial buildings, to have sufficient solar panels to meet the energy demands of that building.

The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it. We must ensure that the energy efficiency standards we set through the Building Regulations for new homes put us on track to meet the 2050 target. From 2021, new homes will be expected to produce 31% less CO2 emissions compared to current standards, and from 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards. We have also proposed an uplift in standards for new non-domestic buildings in 2021, and from 2025, the Future Buildings Standard will produce highly efficient non-domestic buildings which use low-carbon heat and have the best fabric standards possible.

The future is likely to see a mix of low carbon technologies used for heating and it is unlikely that there will be a one-size-fits all solution, so multiple technologies will play a role. We expect heat pumps will become the primary heating technology for new buildings under the Future Homes and Buildings Standards and that heat networks will also have an important role to play. There will also be a role, where appropriate, for other low-carbon technologies and renewable electricity generation such as solar photovoltaics.

The Building Regulations will continue to set a performance-based standard rather than mandating or banning the use of any technologies. This provides builders and developers with the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost-effective solutions appropriate in any development. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic panels because of the visual amenity, strength, or direction of the building.