European Parliament adopts rules for solar on buildings

The European Parliament on Tuesday adopted the so-called EU Solar Standard, which will require the installation of solar on buildings across the EU.

The new rules, already agreed upon in December 2023, were adopted as part of the European Performance of Buildings Directive. The legislation now needs to be formally endorsed by EU ministers in an upcoming Council to become law.

Industry group SolarPower Europe hailed the EU Solar Standard adoption as a huge milestone, noting that it will require solar rooftop installations across a significant proportion of Europe’s building stock from 2026. Jan Osenberg, senior policy advisor at the organisation, also commented that installing energy where it is used will help the grid and empower citizens to use electricity smartly.

EU Solar Standard will mandate solar installations on new commercial and public buildings by end-2026, non-residential buildings that undergo a relevant renovation by end- 2027, new residential buildings by end-2029, and existing public buildings, in steps depending on the size, by 2030.

The Directive now must be integrated into construction practices and building requirements. SolarPower Europe said that nine European countries --France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany -- have adopted similar measures on solar and their experience can be used as best practices.

The European Solar Rooftops Initiative is part of the EU Solar Energy Strategy, which aims to deliver over 320 GW of new photovoltaic capacity by 2025 and almost 600 GW by 2030.

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