The New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill, or ‘Sunshine Bill’ as it was also known, was a Private Members’ Bill (PMB) brought forward by MP for Cheltenham, Max Wilkinson and from 1 October 2026, sought to mandate solar panels on all new homes. After a spirited discussion, the Labour government rejected the proposal, citing several salient reasons.

Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The NFB has been at the forefront of highlighting the barriers to mandating solar panels on new builds, as well as identifying solutions so we can. Thankfully, the Government has recognised some of these and we hope they continue to engage on this topic and work with us on solutions.”

The Bill, which came with penalties for non-delivery and required local authorities to administer the regulation also came with exemption clauses for viability, building height, space availability and whether other renewable energy was installed.

It did not seek to mandate solar on public buildings.

Minister for Planning, Matthew Pennycook who represented the Government, highlighted the costs to local authorities on delivery and enforcement, the skills challenge and the design period for projects far exceeding the 18 months required by the 1 October 2026 deadline.

Pennycook also highlighted the negative impact on housing supply because such a requirement would see many projects come to a standstill while being redesigned or worst still, be made unviable.

Rico Wojtulewicz, Head of Policy and Market Insight at the NFB, said: “Matthew Pennycook correctly identified some of the main challenges faced, particularly the impact on smaller builders. His recognition of the practicable challenges is hugely valued, as there has been a tendency for previous governments to agree to something that resonated with the public and work out the details later. This rarely ends well.

“What wasn’t much discussed was the grid and this is perhaps the most important factor because it’s already difficult enough to get DNO’s to provide connections and infrastructure for heat pumps, let alone the works to feed electricity back to the grid. Who is going to buy a home without electricity, or with a temporary supply?

“When surveying NFB members, the problem is not the solar panels but the grid connections. Their costs, delays to get reinforcement works completed, lack of transparency and timeline for works, for example a date or even year when works will be completed are the main issues! There is also the cost of alternatives, such as batteries, which can make up more than 5% of a home’s sale price in some areas, even when the cheapest storage solution is chosen.

“The reality of delivery complexity is likely a great reason that public buildings were left off the Bill, rather than the cited cost to taxpayers.

“If we want solar on all buildings, we must ensure we can practicably achieve it. We therefore need an ‘Enabling the Sunshine Bill, Bill’ well before we mandate solar on all new builds through local or national regulations.”