The Scottish Government has confirmed that rooftop solar panel installations will no longer require planning permission, paving the way for homeowners and businesses in the region to cut both their carbon footprint and energy costs.
But with the overhaul of permitted development rights (PDRs) for rooftop solar having entered into force last month, neither domestic nor commercial properties now need apply for planning permission in order to install solar panels on their roofs.
The change follows similar legislative changes in the Scottish Government’s budget last year, which saw the removal of non-domestic rates for rooftop solar.
Solar Energy Scotland welcomed the changes, which it said would “eliminate considerable barriers to rooftop installations”.
“We have campaigned for this change for a number of years,” said Thomas McMillan, chair of Solar Energy Scotland. “Simplifying the planning process for rooftop solar will make a substantial difference to Scotland delivering six gigawatts of solar by 2030.
“With energy costs continuing to be stubbornly high, solar remains one of the most effective ways of reducing the charges of running residential and commercial buildings: this change by the Scottish Government makes the process of installing solar quicker and easier and is warmly welcomed.”
The changes mean that flat roof systems can also be installed under permitted development, provided they do not protrude more than one metre from the roof surface. Solar rooftop installations in conservation areas is also permitted under certain circumstances, such as not being on primary elevations or fronting roads. Only World Heritage and listed buildings are exempt from the new changes.
Solar Energy Scotland said it had advocated for these changes for a number of years, adding the new rules remove “costly, time-consuming red tape” which it said would peed up deployment of solar panels on rooftops and help Scotland reach its climate targets.
It means that Scotland, England and Wales have now all removed the upper limit to their PDR guidelines.
Other changes to the solar regulatory landscape in Scotland include free-standing solar panels now being permitted within the curtilage of non-domestic buildings up to 12 metres in height. Restrictions on solar canopies on car parks have also now been relaxed, meaning developers no longer require the primary purpose of the site to be powering electric vehicle (EV) chargers, which Solar Energy Scotland said the industry viewed as “an unnecessary constraint”.
You can now sign up to attend the fifth annual Net Zero Festival, which will be hosted by BusinessGreen on October 22-23 at the Business Design Centre in London.
