Find out here whether you need planning permission to install solar panels.
As climate change accelerates and the cost of fuel rises, we should all be thinking of ways to produce more environmentally friendly energy at home. Installing solar panels is a great way of lowering both your household fuel bills and your carbon emissions. What’s more, you could even make money with solar panels under the government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme and the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive.
Before you install solar panels, however, you need to make sure they meet government building and planning regulations. Even though solar PV and solar thermal panels are now classed as permitted developments (which means they don’t require planning consent) they must still adhere to the following guidelines:
1. Solar panels should be placed as strategically as possible to reduce the impact on the appearance of your property and the local area.
2. They should be removed when they are no longer used to produce energy.
There are two types of solar panels; those which are fitted to the roof or exterior walls of your property and standalone models. Different provisions apply to each type:
Roof and wall mounted solar panels
1. Should not project more than 200 metres from the surface of your roof or wall.
2. Must not be installed above the ridgeline of the roof.
3. If fitted to a garden building, solar panels should not be visible from a highway.
4. You must get listed building consent to install roof or wall mounted solar panels if you live in a listed building.
5. When installing wall mounted solar panels which are visible from a highway, you will need to get planning consent if you live in a conservation area or a world heritage site.
Standalone solar panels
1. Must be no higher than four metres.
2. Should be placed at least five metres from the boundaries of your property.
3. Should not be installed in the boundary of a listed building.
4. Must be no more than nine square metres wide or three metres deep.
5. Should not be visible from a highway when installed in a conservation area or world heritage site.
6. You must not install more than one standalone solar panel in your property.
If you are in any doubt as to whether solar panel installation is permitted in your property, be sure to consult a solar panel professional through our service for advice and a free quote.
