Solar20 Apr 2023 16:17
From April, all rented commercial property will need to have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of band E or better to be let or sold and failure to achieve this will see landlords face potential fines of up to £150,000.
David said: “There has never been more of an incentive to embrace solar power – by occupiers and landlords alike – with buildings unlettable if they don’t meet have the required EPC rating.
“Thus, there is a significant opportunity to drive more solar energy in the UK, by over-cladding existing commercial property with PV (photovoltaic) cells.
“According to the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), there is more than 424 million square feet of warehousing space on premises spanning over 100,000 sq ft.
“This alone could deliver nearly 10,000 acres of space for solar PV use, not to mention the potential in other property uses such as office buildings, supermarkets, and so on.”
The UKWA also says UK warehousing has the roof space for up to 15GW of new solar, which would double the UK’s solar PV capacity. This could meet National Grid’s minimum requirements for solar expansion by 2030.
With 15 GW of solar fitted, the warehouse sector could generate 13.8 TWh (terawatt hours) of renewable electricity per year – transforming the sector from net consumers to net producers.
https://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk/commercial-property-has-the-power-to-boost-uks-clean-energy/