DECC has confirmed that it will now be possible, from 2019, for building-mounted solar panels to be moved to a different location without losing Feed in Tariff (FiT) accreditation, and that schemes up to one megawatt (1MW) in size will no longer require full planning approval before permission is granted.
“These changes represent a vital recognition on the part of the government of the role solar PV has to play in helping the UK to meet its renewable targets” said Giles Hanglin, who looks after the national coordination of solar rooftop delivery for Savills Energy. “The government is certainly making the right moves to remove the former barriers in place which have hitherto dissuaded solar PV investment. In easing both the planning and building transference involved in the process, these amendments are set to make a huge difference in driving greater commercial use of this renewable energy. We welcome this confirmation of the government’s commitment to solar PV.”
The move to allow FiT transference comes as a result of DECC’s consultation into the transferability of building-mounted solar PV installations. This in turn followed a review into the change of planning for solar rooftop schemes held last year, which Savills Energy consulted on.
Under the former FiT scheme, an accredited installation would have been required to stay in the same position for 20 years – despite the fact that 65 percent of the UK’s commercial property assets are leasehold and commercial lease lengths are on average less than a decade long. Savills Energy conducted a campaign earlier this year, urging property owners, tenants and developers to make clear their views and to grasp the opportunity to shape the future of commercial solar. The resulting feedback was submitted by Savills to DECC as part of the review.
A new permitted development right has, additionally, increased the developed threshold for rooftop solar panels on commercial property from 50 KW to 1 MW. This means that installations up to this size no longer require full planning permission.
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