How is the strategic Solar Roadmap supporting accelerated action and innovation in UK’s solar industry?                     

Bringing together key players from government and industry to analyse the progress, challenges and alignment with the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

An estimated 40% of new homes built in England last year were fitted with solar panels, and retrofits are on the rise too with January 2025 seeing a 16.5% increase in installations year on year.

• How will acceleration in rooftop deployment create new opportunities for developers,
• What challenges remain in planning and grid connection – the role of storage
• How can industry work with policymakers to overcome complexities and maximise deployment?

A comprehensive analysis of the UK’s solar market, examining current capacity, projects in development and the long-term potential for expansion.

Local authorities have a pivotal role in driving the transition to renewable energy, but the approach they take can significantly impact project feasibility, returns, and community engagement. Evaluating the technical, financial and regulatory considerations and insights from success stories.

As the UK’s solar capacity continues to grow, effective O&M strategies are critical to maximising energy output, extending asset lifespan, and ensuring financial viability. This panel will bring together industry experts to discuss best practices, emerging technologies, and the evolving regulatory landscape for O&M in large-scale solar farms.

• Predictive vs. reactive maintenance – leveraging AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to prevent failures before they occur
• Strategies to optimise asset performance, improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and mitigate degradation
• Integrating O&M strategies for co-located solar-plus-storage projects
• Workforce and supply chain challenges – skills shortages, spare parts availability, and post-warranty servicing

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements came into force last year, and NSIPs will also be required to adhere to these from November this year.

Solar farms have huge potential to deliver environmental benefits alongside clean energy generation, with some sites far exceeding the 10% requirement. However, developers must navigate evolving regulations, site-specific ecological challenges, and the need to balance land use priorities.

• Challenges of measuring, monitoring, and verifying biodiversity improvements
• Successfully integrating BNG into project design and delivery – designing solar farms to maximise habitat creation and ecological value
• Aligning ecological commitments with planning requirements and commercial viability.
• Best practice case studies of successful BNG integration in operational solar sites

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are critical to delivering the UK’s net-zero goals, but navigating the planning system, overcoming delays, and securing community support remain major challenges. This session brings together developers with first-hand experience to share practical lessons from the frontlines—what works, what doesn’t, and how to de-risk, streamline, and accelerate project delivery.

• Planning reforms in practice – are they really speeding up approvals?
• Engaging communities and securing social license – strategies for success
• Optimising project timelines – what’s slowing deployment and how to fix it

Effective community engagement is critical for the success of solar projects, yet approaches vary widely based on regional dynamics. This session will explore strategies for building trust, addressing concerns, and ensuring community benefits.

• Tailoring engagement strategies to local cultures, policies, and energy needs.
• Engaging municipalities, landowners, and community organizations early in the process.
• Proactive communication on land use, aesthetics, and grid impacts.
• Demonstrating local job creation, tax revenue, and energy cost savings.
• Ensuring underserved communities have access to solar opportunities.
• Navigating regional regulations to streamline community approval.

Unpacking the latest developments on the CfD scheme and the consultation outcomes for the 2025-26 allocation round. Assessing impacts on the UK’s solar landscape, and the role of emerging technologies such as long-duration storage. Lessons learned from AR6 and outlining what’s needed to ensure AR7 maximises deployment across technologies while maintaining affordability for consumers.

Commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops represent a significant opportunity for the UK to reach its 2030 renewable energy goals. With 350 million square metres of warehouse roof space alone – space for up to 15GW of solar – turning these rooftops into distributed solar power plants presents an enormous opportunity.

• Policy reforms and incentives shaping the future of distributed solar.
• Overcoming barriers to growth: grid constraints, planning challenges, and financing options.
• The rise of smart solar: energy storage, digitalization, and local energy markets.
• Engaging communities and businesses to drive adoption at scale.

As the UK scales up renewable energy deployment, the integration of battery storage with large-scale solar projects is becoming critical for grid stability, energy security, and maximising asset value. However, developers face significant challenges, including planning constraints, operational complexity, and economic viability.

Explore the opportunities and real-world challenges of creating integrated energy hubs that combine solar and storage. Best practices in project design, navigating grid and regulatory barriers, financing strategies, and the role of energy storage in optimising returns within the CfD and merchant markets.

• Navigating planning and regulatory hurdles for co-located projects
• Solutions to enhance flexibility and reduce curtailment
• Revenue stacking opportunities and business models for maximising financial returns
• Technological advancements in battery storage and hybrid energy systems

Climate-induced weather events, from high winds to prolonged rainfall, are increasingly affecting construction timelines and ground conditions.

• Avoiding escalating construction costs – available tools and techniques to minimise impact
• Cleaning and maintenance solutions
• Increasing insurance premiums – who is bearing the burden?

With the UK’s solar fleet maturing, many projects are approaching the midpoint or end of their operational lifespan. Repowering and revamping ageing solar assets present a crucial opportunity to enhance efficiency, extend asset life, and maximise returns—yet developers and asset owners must navigate technical, regulatory, and financial challenges to unlock this potential.
• Identifying opportunities: When does repowering make economic and technical sense?
• Upgrading ageing components with next-generation technology solutions
• Financial viability – making the business case for revamping assets

As the need for renewable energy grows, agrivoltaics provides an opportunity to maximise land productivity and diversify revenue streams, while supporting the nation’s food security and Net Zero ambitions.

• Opportunities and challenges in combining solar energy with agricultural production
• Financing models for integrated activities

• The trials and tribulations of trenching
• Navigating the current planning system bottlenecks
• Understanding recent policy updates
• Balancing environmental protections with the urgency of renewable deployment
• Engaging communities effectively to overcome objections and secure local support
• Lessons from successful projects and strategies to streamline the permitting process

As the solar industry continues to scale rapidly, the focus is shifting towards the long-term sustainability of solar technologies—particularly when it comes to end-of-life management and recycling. With millions of solar panels expected to reach their operational lifespan in the coming decades, it is crucial to develop efficient, cost-effective recycling solutions to manage waste and recover valuable materials.

• Current state of the recycling process and what happens to solar panels at the end of their life
• Emerging technologies and innovation in recycling methods and material recovery
• The economic case for solar panel recycling – reducing costs and creating value
• The role of policy, government incentives, and industry standards
• Global perspectives and how other markets are addressing solar waste