Solar Energy UK submitted its response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) consultation on the Future Homes and Buildings Standards on 27 March 20241. The trade body endorsed an amended Option 1 of the notional building standard, opposed Option 2, and reported a bug it had identified in the consultation version of the Home Energy Model1.
The association said it "strongly supports the overarching goal of the Future Homes and Building Standard which is for all new homes and buildings to be zero-carbon ready in line with the decarbonisation of the electricity grid by 2035"1. Its preferred notional building would include solar panels covering 40% of the ground floor area of the home, with consideration for roof design, plus a low-carbon heating system such as an air-source heat pump, ground-source heat pump or low-carbon heat network1.
On running costs, Solar Energy UK cited DLUHC's own consultation figures, stating that solar could help homeowners of a typical new build save between £910 and £2,120 a year1. It said Option 2 only reduces energy bills by £210 to £1,420, and that Option 2 would mean an increase of £580 a year, nearly doubling the regulated energy bill compared with homes built to current regulations1.
"Solar Energy UK endorses Option 1 within the Future Building Standard, that is Solar PV panel coverage equivalent of 40% of the building's foundation area for side-lit spaces and 75% for top-lit spaces"
The response also covers a change in the conversion factor used to turn panel area into kilowatt-peak. The previous factor (1/6.5) assumed a power density of 153Wp/m2; the new factor (1/4.5) is 222Wp/m21. Solar Energy UK said that while the 40% provision appears unchanged, it has in fact increased by 45%, reflecting panel power density rising from around 150Wp/m2 in 2015 to around 207Wp/m2 today, with 220Wp/m2 likely by the time the standard takes effect1.
| Item | Previous | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion factor | 1/6.5 | 1/4.5 |
| Assumed power density | 153Wp/m2 | 222Wp/m2 |
| Solar provision | 40% of ground floor area | 40%, but 45% more capacity |
On the Home Energy Model, Solar Energy UK said the model drastically underrepresented solar generation for other roof directions, and that DLUHC confirmed a bug in the consultation version and addressed it1. It also reported a 3% difference in annual generation between on-roof and in-roof systems and asked for the model to reflect that evidence1.
Why it matters for households
The consultation figures put the difference between the two options in household running costs, not just carbon. Solar Energy UK states that Option 1 homes would cut bills by £910 to £2,120 a year against an average existing home, while Option 2 homes would cost £580 a year more to run than homes built to current regulations1. For a household, that gap is the practical difference between a new home that generates some of its own power and one that does not.
The response also notes that tens of thousands of new social housing properties are built to building regulations each year, and that Option 2 would raise energy bills for those homes too1. On-site generation is presented as a way for a home to meet part of its own power and heat demand, which bears on energy independence at the level of the individual property rather than the grid alone.
What happens next
The response was submitted on 27 March 20241. Solar Energy UK said it would follow up with the Department directly, and asked that special consideration be given when assessing consultation responses because of the Home Energy Model bug it identified1. No date for the Government's response to the consultation is given in the document.
Sources1 cited
- The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation, solarenergyuk.org