Labour government announces plans for solar rooftop revolution

The new Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has unveiled plans for a “solar rooftop revolution” to significantly increase the country’s solar power generation.

Miliband has relaunched the Solar Taskforce with the aim of tripling the amount of solar energy produced in the UK by 2030. As part of this initiative, the government will be emphasising the importance of solar power in the National Planning Policy Framework and upcoming building standards.

“I want to unleash a UK solar rooftop revolution,” Miliband says. “We will encourage builders and homeowners in whatever way we can to deliver this win-win technology to millions of addresses in the UK so people can provide their own electricity, cut their bills and at the same time help fight climate change.”

The renewed focus on solar energy comes after Miliband approved three major solar farm projects last Friday. The Gate Burton site in Lincolnshire, the Mallard Pass project on the Rutland/Lincolnshire border, and the Sunnica farm in Suffolk together have the potential to generate 1.3 gigawatts of solar power, enough to power the equivalent of 400,000 homes annually. Combined, these three farms will generate the equivalent of two-thirds of the solar energy installed across the UK last year.