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Solar panels help increase a new build's SAP score (Standard Assessment Procedure), which measures its energy efficiency, however they are not currently mandatory on UK new builds. Let's explore the UK's current approach to ensuring new builds incorporate energy saving measures as well as considering the best ways to keep our homes energy efficient.
As we continue to tackle the climate crisis and the UK government seeks to meet environmental targets, new builds are required to incorporate certain energy saving measures.
Whilst installing solar panels is not currently among these measures, many new build developers choose to do so in order to meet the required SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) score for energy efficiency. Developers may also choose to install solar panels as they appeal to eco-conscious buyers looking to avoid the task of completing a solar project themselves.
However, with it not yet being a legal requirement, there can be issues when developers install solar panels on new builds. Often, developers don’t make use of all the roof space and only install a few solar panels on their rooftops, which gives the property a higher SAP score but results in a less effective solar system which only minimally reduces energy bills.
If a homeowner then wants to add more panels at a later date, this can cause problems as the original panels may need to be removed to allow a bigger system to replace it, therefore increasing the overall cost of the project.
The requirement to incorporate energy saving measures when building a new property is tracked by SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) regulations. This is the official method for assessing a new build’s energy rating, which is then outlined in an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
SAP scores are a number between 1 and 100+ and are based on standardised calculations of:
The higher the score, the better the property’s energy efficiency and the lower its environmental impact. For example, a building with an SAP score of over 100 would have achieved zero energy costs through exporting excess electricity back to the grid. Although there is no minimum SAP score, houses with a poor SAP score are likely to be more difficult to sell so it’s in a developer’s interest to make new builds energy efficient.
As well as installing solar panels, here’s a list of measures developers can take to boost the SAP score of new builds:
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There is growing support for solar panels to become compulsory for new builds, with a recent survey showing that 70% of the UK public agree solar should become standard for new builds.
Perhaps the UK will follow the EU’s example. As of March 2024 the European parliament has approved a law stating that by 2026, solar panels will be compulsory on new commercial and public buildings and then a little further down the line, by 2030, all residential new builds will be required to incorporate solar panels.
It’s clear that making solar panels on new builds a legal requirement in the UK would be extremely beneficial and with environmental targets becoming more pressing, it could certainly be a measure that is introduced in the future.
