Minister urges ‘much greater development’ of solar on factories and homes
His comments follow continuing concerns at the loss of prime fertile land for food production to sun-powered arrays as part of the drive to net zero.
Solar panels will continue to be installed on farmland, an energy minister has said, but he insisted he wanted to see “much greater development” on industrial buildings and domestic homes.
However, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath pointed out even realising the Government’s goals for the renewable energy source would not see more than 1% of agricultural acreage used.
His comments follow continuing concerns at the loss of prime fertile land for food production to sun-powered arrays as part of the drive to net zero.
It recently emerged housebuilders will be forced to fit solar panels to new properties by 2027 under Government plans.
The move has sparked warnings by the industry over the impact on development in the face of ambitious housing targets set by the Labour administration.
Referring to the proposed new legal requirement, former Norfolk MP Lord Bellingham said: “Will the minister also look at priority for putting these solar panels on the roofs of shops, of supermarkets, warehouses?
“Quite often one goes onto an industrial estate and you see a lot of flat roofs, but no solar panels. And surely that’s a much better option than locating solar arrays on top-class agricultural land.”
Responding, Lord Hunt said: “On his substantive point, totally agree. And these are the matters being discussed in Government at the moment.
“On the use of farmland, he knows that if we were to achieve the whole of our solar ambition, we would not use more than 1% of agricultural land.
“So we will continue to see projects of solar on agricultural land, but I want to see a development, much greater development in industrial premises and in domestic houses as well.”
Earlier, Labour peer Lord Berkeley urged the Government to press ahead with plans to make solar panels compulsory on new-builds and ignore criticism of the policy by developers.
He said: “I commend them what the government’s trying to do, but hasn’t the minister seen all the opposition from the housebuilders who say it’s too expensive, it won’t work, it’ll make them fat and everything else?
“Will he keep going with this programme, because it’s local and it’s very good, and it’s something that would give extra alternatives to all the other types of power which have been discussed.”
Lord Hunt said Government colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government were “discussing these matters at the moment”.
He added: “I do very much understand the contribution that solar can make on rooftops.
“We are taking these forward and I’m sure we’ll make announcements, I was going to say very shortly, but certainly as soon as possible.”
