Future Homes Standard and Rooftop Solar

If you’re looking ahead to this year’s planned publication of the new Future Homes Standard, in which rooftop solar is likely to feature as part of the plan to support the delivery of cleaner domestic energy, then one of the first things to do is to talk to our design team about any loading changes this will mean for your roof designs.

While not yet finalised, the Future Homes Standard is heading the way of UK housebuilders this year, and compliance will be mandatory!

Finer detail and timescales haven’t yet been announced by Government, but from recent statements from ministers and Whitehall, here’s what we do know: 

• The Labour Government will be going ahead with the Future Homes Standard, first conceived under the Conservative rule. 

• The FHS proposals developed and tested through the initial public consultation are in line with Government thinking, so they will be able to introduce the standard without reconsulting.

• To future proof new homes in line with zero-carbon ambitions, low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency will be required, taking them to the level where energy efficiency retrofit work is unnecessary as planned decarbonisation of the electricity grid progresses.  

• Rooftop solar will feature in the Future Homes Standard to support delivery of cleaner domestic energy.

We don’t know the timetable for Future Homes Standard roll out, but according to the Future Homes Hub: “Our working assumption, knowing that the Government is keen to publish the standard as soon as possible, is that it will be the summer, perhaps June or July.”