The government has announced plans to publish a solar roadmap in 2024, outlining the actions needed to increase the country’s solar capacity nearly fivefold by 2035.

The roadmap is part of the government’s commitment to power up Britain with cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources.

The solar roadmap will focus on driving the installation of rooftop solar panels, reducing costs for households and businesses interested in adopting solar power.

The aim is to make solar energy more accessible and affordable for a wider range of consumers, ultimately leading to significant reductions in energy bills.

In its first meeting, the government’s Solar Taskforce, led by Energy Minister Graham Stuart and Solar Energy UK Chief Executive Chris Hewett, discussed the untapped potential of commercial buildings, schools, warehouses, and car parks to host solar panels.

Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart said: “Households across the UK are already doing their bit to provide cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources with the solar panels on their roofs – but with acres of rooftop space on car parks and supermarkets in every community, we can be doing even more.”

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK and Co-Chair of the Taskforce, said: “Solar is the most popular form of power generation amongst the British public and consumer demand has never been higher, though the rate of rooftop installation must double to help hit 70GW by 2035.

“The number of solar farms will also have to increase significantly. I am delighted we now have industry leaders working directly with the government to resolve the stumbling blocks and maximise the benefits that solar energy offers to the nation.”