Solar panels for new-build homes? We’re already on it
The Government has announced that it wants almost all new homes to have solar PV installed in future. By acquiring leading installer Eco2Solar, E.ON is ahead of the curve.
At the beginning of May, the Government announced that by 2027 almost all new homes in England will be required to be fitted with solar panels during their initial construction.
This makes good financial sense since the initial cost of installation can ultimately be covered by energy savings, and research has found that installing solar panels can cut some households’ bills by as much as a quarter.
It’s also a policy that is likely to be popular with the public. According to recent polling we commissioned from YouGov, 78% of people agree that “all new houses built in the UK should have green technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps installed as standard.”
As a Government spokesperson quoted in the Guardian said: “We have always been clear that we want solar panels on as many new homes as possible because they are a vital technology to help cut bills for families, boost our national energy security and help deliver net zero.
“Through the Future Homes Standard we plan to maximise the installation of solar panels on new homes as part of our ambition to ensure all new homes are energy efficient.”
The Government’s plans will legally oblige house builders to install solar panels on the roofs of new homes, and we’re proud to already be in a strong position to support their efforts thanks to our recent acquisition of Eco2Solar.
Supporting solar on new builds with Eco2Solar
As one of the UK’s leading domestic installers, Eco2Solar has put solar panels on roughly 50,000 UK homes since its founding in 2007, helping British homeowners generate more than 85 million kWh of renewable electricity and keeping their energy bills lower than they otherwise would be.
As a leading energy supplier on a mission to make new energy work for everyone, we’ve long seen huge potential in ensuring that new homes are solar equipped from the start. That’s why, back in 2020, we acquired 49% of Eco2Solar, and why earlier this year we acquired the rest.
“My vision has always been to make solar standard and to change the way that we think about how we get our energy in this country,” Eco2Solar’s CEO, Paul Hutchens, said at the time of the acquisition. “E.ON UK and Eco2Solar have the opportunity and resources to create new models that will make solar and other sustainable technologies available to everyone.”
Once again, this is a move that seems to have broad public support. According to the same YouGov polling mentioned above, more than three quarters of people agree that: “It’s good for energy companies with direct experience installing devices such as solar PV and heat pumps to be involved in making sure new build homes are energy efficient.”
It was already our intention to help Eco2Solar scale its operations to meet the UK’s fast-growing demand for solar installations on new build houses, but in light of the Government’s recent announcement we’re even more excited to support this important piece of the UK’s net zero efforts, and doubly committed to making rooftop solar on new builds – and many other aspects of new energy – work for everyone.
Find out more about E.ON’s acquisition of Eco2Solar here.