There has been a lot of discussion nationally on the topic of installing solar panels on churches. The resources listed below are designed to help parishes think about this issue for their buildings.
Watch a Webinar from ChurchCare on Solar Panels (youtube.com)
Guidance documents from The Church Buildings Council (CBC)
In March 2023 the CBC updated its Policy and Precedents note to reflect development in policy over solar PV. The note states:
- The CBC supports the use of solar panels on churches.
- The CBC will take account of the carbon payback time when it considers proposals for solar PV. This means that the solar PV should save more in carbon during its warranted lifetime that the carbon produced to manufacture and install it.
- The CBC will not normally support ground mounted solar panels as the panels and associated cables are attractive for theft; in some graveyards ground mounted panels could be too visually dominant.
Find guidance notes below issued by the CBC in August 2021.
Please note that although the CBC guidance says that faculty permission is needed in every case the installation of photovoltaic panels on a church which is not a listed building or in a conservation area is now within the scope of List B - item B1(20).
Download a Brief Guide to Solar Photovoltaic Panels (2021)
Download a Brief Guide to Solar Panels and Faculty Applications (2021)