England’s planning policy statement for renewable energy gives regional and local governments an important role in meeting the national targets for renewable energy generation and carbon emissions reductions.

The policy statement includes a suggestion that local governments adopt policies that require a percentage of the energy needs for new developments to come from on-site renewable energy systems.

Merton council in South-West London has set a pioneering policy requiring renewable energy systems to be incorporated into all major developments to reduce predicted carbon emissions by 10 %. Major developments are all non-residential developments over 1000 m² and residential developments of ten or more dwellings. The first development to be affected by the policy, which was adopted in 2004, was a 4 500 m² area of ten light commercial units.

The development incorporated micro wind turbines and a 5 kW PV system. In its first year of implementation the policy resulted in the demand for just under 130 kW of PV. Neighboring councils are now following Merton’s lead and local authorities throughout the UK are expected to adopt pro-renewables planning policies in the next few years.

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