What if the government fails to kickstart a rooftop solar revolution?

If the government fails to kickstart a rooftop solar revolution, an area of countryside larger than the size of Greater London will be required for ground-mounted schemes. CPRE’s view is that this land could be much better used for either nature recovery, public amenity or low impact food production; or a mixture of these.

Can rooftop solar panels meet our energy needs?

We have published research by the UCL Energy Institute into the true potential for meeting our energy needs if we made full use of the rooftop space available for solar panels across the country.

Can rooftop solar protect landscapes?

The report concludes that, in order to move the country to renewable energy in time to prevent the worst effects of climate breakdown, ground-mounted solar projects will be needed. However, the potential of rooftop solar offers hope for protecting valuable landscapes.

What is CPRE's new campaign for rooftop solar?

The report’s publication marks the launch of CPRE’s new campaign for rooftop renewables and a petition calling on the government to ensure all suitable new buildings have rooftop solar. We’re calling on the government to set a national rooftop solar target of at least 40GW by 2035. Sign the petition

Is rooftop solar a good idea?

Rooftop solar has almost universal public support. It’s unobtrusive and largely out of the line of sight, which means fewer objections and a speedier passage through the planning system. ‘Given the urgency of the climate crisis, it’s time to fit renewables as standard on all new development.

Why should we support rooftop solar?

Donate to CPRE. Rallying the public in support of rooftop solar and encouraging politicians to do more to ensure we are making the most efficient use of our land by generating electricity from roofs while sparing space for nature will be expensive and time consuming.