Sun Day.
‘Why don’t they build houses with solar on them?
‘There’s loads of new houses going up where I live and not one panel between them’
How many times have we heard these lines over the years, repeated to us when proposing to clients, comments on our social media posts and even letters in the local papers from ppl who don’t want to see solar farms in their locality?
This week sees a Private Members Bill being bought before Parliament. The ‘Sunshine Bill’ aims to mandate that all new builds will have solar incorporated into them.
Something that the vast majority of us can get behind. Every day we seem to see more stories about solar farms going in and the kafuffle it causes in a community when we have so much untapped rooftop space just crying out to become an energy generator.
Less than 10% of commercial rooftop space has solar and by covering just 80% of that space, we could generate over 50% of the UK’s daytime energy demand.
Car parks are another area we need to look closely at.
In France, legislation mandates the installation of solar panels over parking lots exceeding certain sizes:
Parking Lots with 80 to 400 Spaces: These facilities are required to cover at least 50% of their area with solar panels. They have a compliance period of five years from July 2023, making the deadline July 2028.
Parking Lots with More than 400 Spaces: Similarly, at least 50% of the area must be covered with solar panels. However, these larger lots have a shorter compliance period of three years from July 2023, setting the deadline at July 2026.
The UK can mandate this as well. We have the car park space and we have the roof-space. We also have over 5,000 registered installation companies and many more like me that feed that machine on a daily basis.
This Friday, at 9am all of that can change. Or the path can be cleared for further readings at the very least.
The Sunshine Bill will be debated in Parliament on FRIDAY 17TH and I’ll be joining several other members of the Solar Nation and will converge on Central London to make our feelings clear and provide a visible show of support outside The House Of Commons.
WE MEET AT 8:30AM on the pavement outside The House of Commons. Join us.
After the debate, we will ‘march’ on 55 Whitehall where Mr Miliband has his office.
As a network of some of the most experienced and longest running solar companies in the UK, we believe we have the right to be heard and a few of us will be there, in fully branded work-wear showing support.
Join us this Friday. Regardless of whether you’re in this industry or associated industries, this is something we can all get behind. Let’s make it mandatory for new build houses and then use our voice to focus on a national Commercial Rooftop campaign, a car park campaign, a schools campaign and let’s create a Solar Nation we can all be proud of.
#SolarLove in the #SolarNation