The Solar Roadmap
I am tabling this statement to inform members of the publication of the Solar Roadmap.
The Government is committed to delivering a clean, affordable and secure energy system by 2030, and accelerating progress towards net zero. Solar is a mature and cheap source of power, which will play a crucial role in decarbonising our electricity and ensuring that Britain is insulated from volatile global gas prices.
Making Britain a clean energy superpower is one of the Government’s five missions. The Clean Power Action Plan, published in December, set a target for 45-47GW of solar power by 2030. This mission is about driving economic growth as well as clean power. By 2030 up to 35,000 UK jobs could be supported by the solar sector, up from around 17,000 today. The Government will work closely with industry to ramp up generation capacity. Today’s publication fires the starting pistol on 5 years of rapid deployment.
The Solar Roadmap – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/solar-roadmap - begins with a statistical analysis of likely deployment scenarios. It projects that the Clean Power Action Plan ambition of 45-47GW is achievable, but that significant action will be required to facilitate the necessary deployment. It estimates that ground mount solar alone could power around 9 million homes. It estimates that – even in these ambitious scenarios – solar would occupy up to only 0.4% of total UK land.
The following chapters deal with salient issues for the solar sector. The first of these is on Rooftop Solar. It sets out actions which will enable Government and industry to unleash a rooftop revolution. This includes information on the role of Great British Energy, the Warm Homes Plan, Future Homes and Buildings Standards, a call for evidence about solar car parks, and tackling contractual and financial barriers to rooftop solar installations.
The Electricity Networks chapter addresses the lengthy and complicated process of securing a grid connection for solar. It highlights the impact of the Government’s radical connections reforms and Ofgem’s end-to-end review of connections. It also includes a range of actions to remove barriers for new-build and domestic solar, and to standardise service levels across the sector.
The Supply Chain and Innovation chapter focusses on making the solar supply chain resilient, diverse, and sustainable. It provides details of legislation and guidance to ensure businesses take action against modern slavery in the supply chain. It also explains our support for engagement with supply chain standards, such as the Solar Stewardship Initiative. The chapter also details how the Government intends to encourage the development and commercialisation of innovative solar technologies.
The Skills chapter sets out the action required to increase the number of solar jobs in the UK. These include recommendations on improving understanding of current training opportunities, launching regional careers fairs, and clarifying the routes to competency for solar installers.
The Planning and Support Schemes chapter deals with actions to remove other barriers, including planning reform; reform of financial support mechanisms; and support for floating solar. The final chapter, ‘Working together to deliver our ambition’, identifies the different stakeholders who will contribute to delivering 45-47GW of solar power. It discusses the Government’s proposals to make it mandatory for developers to provide community benefit funds for the local areas hosting new infrastructure.
Finally, today we also announce that a Solar Council will be established to monitor delivery of the Roadmap’s actions, and to provide a forum for industry representatives to engage directly with Ministers. Scaling up solar power will be critical to the success of the Government’s clean energy mission. We hope that today’s publication gives a boost to industry as they help us reduce our dependence on volatile fossil fuels and improve our energy security.