Wales will be the first part of the United Kingdom to mandate solar on new buildings when new building regulations come into force on Mar. 4, 2027, ahead of similar rules expected to come into force in England.
The updated building regulations for Wales do not explicitly set out a PV mandate but they do introduce a requirement for “a system for renewable electricity generation” to be installed on site. Solar Energy UK expects rooftop solar will therefore be deployed “in virtually every circumstance” as the most practical and affordable way to comply. The new rules will apply to new buildings that have not started construction when the regulations come into force.
“This is tremendous news for Wales and I applaud the Welsh Government for their wise decision,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK. The trade association has lobbied for solar power to be “all but mandatory” on new homes and buildings.
New building regulations for Wales include an exemption that help to stop uneconomical and impractical systems from being installed purely for compliance reasons. Under the rules, if it is not possible to install a system capable of generating at least 720 kWh per year on a proposed building then the requirement will not apply.
Wales’s solar mandate is similar to what is expected from England’s Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard. The UK government expects to finalize the regulations in 2026 and has already committed to mandate solar panels for new homes and buildings in England through the regulations.
The Scottish government lags on a solar mandate, with lawmakers in Edinburgh opting not to include an equivalent mandate for solar in building regulations. Northern Ireland has tightened its energy efficiency requirements in recent years, and Solar Energy UK said solar installations are “strongly expected” to become mandatory.
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