Commercial Buildings Could Revolutionize UK Solar Power

The first meeting of a new solar taskforce in the UK highlighted the “untapped potential” of commercial sites for solar, a recently published UK government statement revealed.

Schools, warehouses, and car parks could be “at the forefront of a revolution in affordable solar power” under plans discussed at the meeting, according to the statement, which highlighted several other discussions during the group’s first encounter.

The taskforce was also said to have talked about publishing a solar roadmap in 2024, upskilling and expanding the solar workforce, and identifying opportunities to secure resilient supply chains and innovation within the global market.

In the statement, the government highlighted that it pledged to establish a taskforce to drive the further growth of solar power as part of the Powering Up Britain plan, which was published in March this year. The plan sets out how the government will enhance the country’s energy security, seize the economic opportunities of the transition, and deliver on net zero commitments, according to the Powering Up Britain policy paper.

The government noted in its latest statement that it has a clear target to increase solar capacity nearly fivefold to 70 Gigawatts by 2035. More than one million UK homes already have solar panels fitted to their roofs, according to the government statement, which noted that over 99 percent of the UK’s solar capacity, both on the ground and on rooftops, has been installed since May 2010. In 2020, the solar industry supported 11,500 jobs across the country, the government highlighted in the statement.

“Households across the UK are already doing their bit to provide cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources with the solar panels on their roofs, but with acres of rooftop space on car parks and supermarkets in every community, we can be doing even more,” Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said in a government statement.

“This new dedicated solar taskforce will have a laser-like focus on cutting the costs and breaking down the barriers to harnessing the power of the sun in every way we can, all while using a small fraction of this country’s land,” he added.

“Doing so will make a significant contribution to boosting our energy security, cutting people’s bills, and providing long-term jobs,” he continued.

Chris Hewett, the Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK and Co-Chair of the taskforce, said, “installing rooftop solar power, whether at residential or commercial scale, is one of the best investments available, offering dramatic savings on energy bills and the opportunity to be paid for sending excess power to the grid”.

“Solar is the most popular form of power generation amongst the British public and consumer demand has never been higher, though the rate of rooftop installation must double to help hit 70GW by 2035,” he added.

“The number of solar farms will also have to increase significantly. I am delighted we now have industry leaders working directly with the government to resolve the stumbling blocks and maximize the benefits that solar energy offers to the nation,” Hewett went on to state.

Ben Fawcett, the Head of Solar at EDF Renewables UK and a member of the solar taskforce, said, “if we are to achieve our net zero ambitions, we need to drive forward the deployment of all types of solar, from rooftops to small and large utility-scale solar farms”.

“By bringing the government and industry together, the solar taskforce is a great step in the right direction as we work hard to unlock the potential of solar in the UK,” he added.

The solar taskforce membership includes the heads, or senior officers, of renewable energy standards body MCS, commercial-scale developer Evo Energy, solar investor NextEnergy Capital, energy supplier and solar farm developer EDF, international solar business Lightsource BP, the UK Infrastructure Bank, and the Energy Networks Association.

According to a segment on the solar taskforce published on the UK government website, the group will run up to February 2024. Its key objectives include assisting in the development of, and securing cross government and industry buy in to, a UK roadmap for solar, and putting in place structures to facilitate continued progress on cost reduction, the site highlights.

In a statement accompanying the Powering Up Britain plan published back in March, the government outlined that the plan boosted the country’s energy security and independence, reduced household bills for the long term, and maintained a “world-leading” position in achieving net zero.

“We are … stepping up to power Britain and ensure our energy security in the long term with more affordable, clean energy from Britain, so we can drive down energy prices and grow our economy,” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in the statement.

“That’s why we’re driving forward plans to boost renewables, revive nuclear and build new thriving industries like carbon capture, which will in turn create good jobs across the country, provide new opportunities for British businesses at home and abroad, and maintain our world-leading action to reach net zero,” Sunak added.

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