The Minister for Energy has met with major retailers and the solar industry to try to unlock one of the UK's best opportunities to increase renewable electricity: warehouse rooftops. Michael Shanks MP, a minister in the Department for Energy and Net Zero, told participants at a roundtable organised by the UK Warehousing Association that using logistics premises to generate clean energy was probably the only issue on which all political parties agreed.
In a recent report, the UKWA found that warehouse rooftop solar was also the most popular form of renewable power with the public, supported by 9 in 10 people in a YouGov poll. The trade body's members, who develop, operate, and provide technology to warehouses, are keen to pursue solar installations, but are facing several hurdles.
The Minister heard how issues including insurance, connections to the electricity grid, and the fact that most warehouses are leased, were all slowing down the solar rollout. Logistics companies and retailers at the roundtable felt that insurers sometimes had an outdated view of the risk involved in installing solar panels, given that the technology was now well-established.
Getting a connection upgrade to allow solar power to be exported to the grid was often slow and expensive, several companies said, although recent changes by the energy regulator, Ofgem, should make it easier to get smaller solar projects (under 5 megawatts) completed.
Clare Bottle, CEO of the UKWA, said:
"Having the Minister for Energy hear directly from our members about the challenges facing warehouse solar projects is a big step forward in our campaign to unleash the 'rooftop revolution'. His support for the cause was clear, now it's about breaking down the barriers holding these projects back."
"We're calling for the Government to get behind a pilot scheme at one of the UK's major logistics hubs, to cut through some of the delays, and cover all the warehouses in solar panels. This is only the first step. We're going to need joined up thinking, combining solar with battery storage and electric vehicle charging, if we're going to meet the twin goals of reducing energy costs and decarbonising logistics."
Bottle will attend a meeting of the DESNZ's Solar Council this week to press the case for Government and business to work together to capitalise on the UK warehousing's solar potential, which could almost add 17.3 gigawatts of capacity. Current total installed solar capacity is 18.9 GW.
