The UK government has confirmed that “new build homes will have solar panels by default”, as a part of the Future Homes Standard to be published in Autumn 2025.
Their press release confirms that “Building Regulations will be amended to explicitly promote solar for the first time, subject to practical limits with flexibility in place for new homes surrounded by trees or with lots of shade overhead”. They estimate that a typical existing UK home could save around £530 a year from installing rooftop solar, based on the current energy price cap.
It’s been speculated that the new regulations would set a minimum amount of solar photovoltaic panels for new build properties, varied by home size and type. The exact details are likely to follow with the publication of the Future Homes Standard.
The Future Homes Standard is key to transitioning housebuilding to net zero, and will rely heavily on local generation to avoid overloading grid electricity capacity. This will likely feature heat pumps prominently, alongside solar PV panels, and could still include an outright ban on fossil fuel systems for heating. The Future Buildings Standard for non domestic properties may also be introduced within a similar time frame. We are hosting a free live webinar on August 6th to discuss these changes.
