The government has published a roadmap to increase the UK’s installed solar capacity to 47GW by 2030 as part of its Clean Power Action Plan.
The report, titled The Solar Roadmap: United Kingdom Powered by Solar, was written in collaboration between government and industry via the UK Solar Taskforce.
It presents a comprehensive strategy to achieve the increase in solar deployment needed to support delivery of clean power by 2030.
The roadmap states that every family and business in Britain is paying the price for the UK’s exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets and argues that investing in solar will help protect households and businesses from fossil fuel price volatility while boosting the energy security.
It also states that solar has a unique role because rooftop deployment has the potential to reduce consumer bills immediately.
The Clean Power Action Plan calls for the rapid acceleration of solar deployment from more than 18GW at present to 45GW-47GW by 2030.
It also says there is scope to exceed the 47GW upper limit, subject to system need, because National Energy System Operator (Neso) engagement with distribution network operators indicates an additional 9GW-10GW of rooftop solar projects that are not subject to Transmission Impact Assessments could potentially be deployed before 2030.
This means the 45GW-47GW range could yield 54GW-57GW of installed capacity, subject to the pipeline of rooftop solar projects.
The report says solar could power the equivalent of around 9M by 2030, compared with around 2M today. The sector could support up to 35,000 jobs across Britain by 2030, compared with around 17,000 today, while land required for ground-mounted solar would increase from around 0.1% to up to 0.4% of total UK land.
Secretary of State for energy security and net zero Ed Miliband said the roadmap “presents the final conclusions of the Solar Taskforce, setting out the steps government and industry will take to seize these opportunities”.
“From installing solar on as many new newbuild homes as possible through the Futures Homes Standard to exploring how to maximise the potential of solar canopies on car parks,” he said.
“We will push ahead on a solar rooftop revolution, while tackling the barriers of planning, grid, supply chains and skills. Publishing this roadmap is just the beginning of our journey, and we will establish a joint government and industry Solar Council to drive progress towards our ambitions.”
Much of the roadmap is focused on actions relating to electricity networks, rooftop solar, planning, skills, supply chains and innovation.
The electricity networks chapter states that networks are fundamental to growth and energy security in the context of a rapidly electrifying economy and to delivering the ambition of 45GW-47GW by 2030.
It says the government has set out radical reforms to the connections process to ensure the infrastructure needed is built and to end “the sclerotic and out of date system that was holding back British businesses waiting to connect to the grid”.
The report also references Ofgem’s End-to-End Review, which aims to improve transparency of data and timescales, as well as removing barriers to combined storage and solar projects, new-build domestic installations and standardisation of service across the sector.
The roadmap also identifies planning reform as an important part of increasing deployment. It states that the government has updated the National Planning Policy Framework so that local decision makers give significant weight to the benefits associated with renewable and low-carbon energy generation.
It also says legislation has increased the threshold at which solar projects enter the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (NSIP) from 50MW to 100MW, allowing more mid-sized solar projects to move through the local planning system, potentially, resulting in faster and cheaper consent.
Alongside planning reform, the roadmap highlights a £46M package of investment intended to support planning capacity and capability within local planning authorities. It also states that Solar Energy UK will work with representatives from the planning profession to review existing training provision and ensure it is fit for purpose in supporting renewable energy development, including through university degrees.
The roadmap describes government and industry as being determined to “unleash a rooftop revolution” across the UK.
Among the actions identified is the role of Great British Energy (GBE) in supporting rooftop solar deployment, including the previously announced programme enabling around 200 schools and up to 200 hospitals in England to install rooftop solar to help reduce energy bills.
Other actions include new initiatives for new and existing homes through the Warm Homes Plan and Future Homes and Buildings Standards, a call for evidence examining the potential for solar canopies on outdoor car parks over a certain size, and the development of a standard contractual agreement for retrofitting rooftop solar on leased industrial and commercial buildings.
The roadmap also identifies significant opportunities for commercial rooftop solar. It cites research commissioned by the UK Warehousing Association estimating that the UK’s largest warehouses alone provide around 75M square metres of roof space capable of supporting around 15GW of rooftop solar capacity.
The report also outlines work relating to solar canopies and plug-in solar technology, which is not currently permitted under UK regulations but could provide opportunities for households, particularly those living in rented accommodation or flats, to adopt solar at lower cost.
Skills form another major section of the roadmap and it says the rapid growth of the UK solar industry offers a generational opportunity to create high-quality jobs throughout the UK.
It identifies actions including improving understanding of workforce requirements, mapping current training infrastructure in England, piloting regional careers fairs at colleges and mapping competency routes for core occupations.
The roadmap concludes by stating that publication of the document is the first step in an ongoing process to achieve the ambition of 45GW-47GW of installed solar capacity by 2030.
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