All new homes should be required to have solar panels installed to meet green targets, according to a new report from the Local Government Association (LGA).
Currently, 60 per cent of new homes built do not have rooftop solar panels, with 40 per cent having them installed. While this means more new homes have solar installed than in previous years, the report says making this a requirement would increase that number and have a positive impact.
Requiring new builds to have solar power would decrease carbon and costs for households, with an estimated saving of £440 per year, the report highlights, helping meet green targets and saving residents money.
The recommendation is part of a suite of policy and funding interventions, to increase retrofitting, finance and legislative changes, set out in the LGA’s new report - “Empowering local climate action: Advice to government”.
The LGA said councils are central to delivering clean energy, reducing emissions, and supporting households through the transition to net zero but lack the necessary funding and policies from government. The report outlines what local authorities need from government in the Spending Review in order to fulfil their role as central partners in tackling climate change.
It highlights the four key areas that are national priorities for climate action and key government pledges, and what councils could do to realise these goals, alongside the key policy measures to empower local government to tackle climate change.
The four areas for action identified are decarbonising housing, reforming the energy system, expanding clean power, and protecting nature, to enable councils to deliver:
- Warm Homes Plan – decarbonising housing by 2050, through empowering councils to upgrade five million homes through targeted retrofit programmes, pooling existing national funding into long-term, place-based allocations, to tackle fuel poverty, reduce emissions, and grow local supply chains.
- Energy System Reform - Modernising energy infrastructure to support a clean energy transition, a new local-national partnership to modernise the energy system and unlock locally led clean power.
- Clean Power by 2030 - The Clean Power Plan urges government to back Local Area Energy Plans and regional coordination, while fast-tracking community and municipal energy projects. Councils are also calling for clarity on the role of local government in delivering the UK’s 2030 clean power commitment, and for community benefit funds and business rate reform.
- Protecting Nature - Preserving biodiversity and restoring natural habitats, giving Local Nature Recovery Strategies a central role in biodiversity restoration, backed by increased enforcement powers and stronger integration of natural capital in local planning.
To enable councils to deliver on these areas, they need to be sufficiently empowered. The report sets out cross-cutting proposals to make local climate action more effective, including:
- A unified national-local climate governance framework and the introduction of Local Climate Action Plans.
- Legislative reforms to give councils more powers to set climate targets and raise energy standards.
- A shift to multi-year, outcome-focused funding to unlock private sector investment.
- The creation of a Green Finance Delivery Support Unit and risk-sharing mechanisms to accelerate investment.
- A green skills strategy, including new apprenticeships and taskforces to match future demand.
Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the LGA, said: “This report sets out what councils can achieve and how to do it, if the Government is able to back them with the powers and funding to turn this into a reality.
“Councils are ready to go further and faster on climate action – but we need a plan that works in partnership with local government. However, the funding or policies needed to empower them to help fully realise this ambition are not yet in place.
“The Government should use the Spending Review to ensure that councils are sufficiently funded, and take on the policy recommendations that will help local government fulfil its role in tackling climate change.”
