Next steps for solar power in the UK

It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess early indications and the way forward for implementation following publication of the Government’s Solar Roadmap in June, and what will be needed if policy targets and timeframes for accelerating deployment are to be met.

Delegates will consider priorities for delivery, including managing pressures on agricultural land and food security, addressing concerns around ethical sourcing and the solar supply chain, strengthening regional grid and planning capacity, and coordination of local and national approaches.

We also expect discussion on the impact of planning reform, the contribution of rooftop and balcony solar to local generation and land use policy, infrastructure readiness, and expectations around community benefit and support.

Delegates will assess grid access and sequencing, including implications of the shift to a ‘first ready, first connected’ model, looking at approaches to prioritising projects, capacity allocations, constraints, and investment planning. The future of grid assessment frameworks will be considered in relation to planning progression, regional delivery, and developer decision-making. Early insights from Great British Energy’s rooftop programme for schools and hospitals will be considered, including delivery timelines, local coordination, and lessons for future procurement.

Planned sessions will also examine enablers for delivery, including installer availability, resourcing in planning departments, and the impact of recent planning reforms on rural land use, agricultural production and the rural economy.

Further sessions will address the effects of market structures and funding mechanisms on investment, including proposed CfD reforms, commissioning windows, and implications for AR7 and future cycles. Issues around procurement rules, import policy, and ethical sourcing and their implications for supply chains will also be considered, as well engagement with communities and implications for planning outcomes and the viability of individual projects.

With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:

• implementation:
• roles and responsibilities across Ofgem, network operators, and others in enabling timely access
• coordination between central and local government - clarity on responsibilities under regional or sector-specific targets
• project timing:
• new grid access rules - speed alongside confidence in grid access, planning approval and investment viability - sequencing and capacity allocation
• grid assessment frameworks and pipeline confidence
• investment incentives and market stability: the impact of CfD terms on build-out timeframes - effects of auction design on scale and timing - policy predictability for long-term investment
• planning and delivery: variation in application of new planning rules - local land use plans and spatial strategy - planning department capacity - NSIP thresholds and statutory timelines
• workforce: addressing regional installer shortages - training and accreditation - impact on rollout - skills demand across the clean energy sector
• supply chain:
• effects of import rules, ethical standards and traceability - tackling bottlenecks in equipment or material availability
• conditions for achieving speed, cost and compliance - implications of reliance on high-risk jurisdictions - domestic manufacturing considerations
• procurement: options for centralisation - role of Great British Energy - implications for competition, value for money and timelines - coordination with local public estate managers
• land use:
• displacement of farmland - pressures on food security - trade-offs with biodiversity and nature recovery goals
• clarity on Best and Most Versatile land - prioritising brownfield, rooftop, and low-grade land in relation to greenfield - implications for site selection, planning and public support
• built environment:
• how deployment can be scaled-up - addressing variation in rooftop suitability and limits on balcony solar uptake
• coordination with housing supply and refurbishment - potential for zoning and local area energy planning
• local engagement: proposals for legally defined community benefits - variation in local support and negotiation - consequences for planning outcomes and project viability