In an effort to speed up the delivery of solar energy nationwide, the UK government has reactivated the Solar Taskforce, a decision that has been praised by Solar Energy UK. The company’s chief executive, Chris Hewett, has also been brought on as a co-chair for the joint government-industry body.
Having previously overseen the development of the Solar Roadmap, a plan seeking a practical route towards 70GW of solar generation capacity by 2035, Hewett is already making plans to achieve the new Labour government’s goal of 50GW of capacity by the end of the decade. To comprehend how lofty these targets are, take a look at how significant just 1GW of energy is:
Labour’s plans for a solar-powered Britain won’t be an easy feat. Hewett explains that it will require even stronger efforts to accommodate the surge in demand and that providing the skills training and investment in pertinent industries (like steel mounting, engineering, or simply batteries) will likely be the largest challenge. Also, convincing homeowners to take part will be difficult. Hewett believes these changes will ensure Britain’s economy and environment will eventually flourish.
Solar Rooftop Revolution
Also appointed to the task force as co-chair is Ed Miliband, the current Energy Secretary, who is seeking to ‘unleash a UK solar rooftop revolution.’
Miliband wants to encourage solar panel installers and homeowners to distribute the technology nationwide. The hope is to get this change to millions of homes to allow them to fight climate change directly, by generating their own power, cutting down their costs and lowering their carbon footprint.
With the government and task force eager to implement these changes immediately, the public are being highly encouraged to seek out services such as solar panel installation Weston from specialist installers like https://redbridgeandsons.co.uk/solar-pv-panels/solar-panel-installers-weston.
DCOs and NCIPs
Following these major announcements, Labour have also revealed that they have provided development consent orders to multiple UK-based solar farms. These farms are considered nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), which will check off a huge 1.3GW generation capacity from the 50GW 2030 target, helping set the nation on the right path towards renewable energy for everyone.