Wednesday 11 January at 14.15 – Committee Room 5 – Watch live on parliamentlive.tv

AGENDA:

The Environmental Audit Committee will hold a one-off evidence session exploring onshore solar energy. The session offers members the chance to question experts on the opportunities and barriers to the expansion of solar technology deployment in the UK.

The evidence session comprises two panels: the first exploring the expansion of solar technology in the UK, and the second considering land use and the community impacts of solar farms. Members will be likely to ask questions around the Government’s targets on solar energy, obtaining grid connections for solar farms, the potential contribution of residential and commercial solar installations, the impacts on biodiversity of solar farms and the impacts of community opposition to solar farms.

The evidence session follows the recent publication of the Committee’s report, ‘Accelerating the transition from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies’, in which members emphasised the importance of utilising the UK’s low-carbon energy potential. In particular, the Committee recommended that the Government’s Future Homes Standard requires developers to fit solar PV as standard where it is possible.

Witnesses:

From 14.15:
• Chris Hewett, CEO, Solar Energy UK
• Ian Rippin, CEO, Microgeneration Certification Scheme
• Professor Alastair Buckley, Professor of Organic Electronics, University of Sheffield
• Dr Chris Case, Chief Technology Officer, Oxford PV

From 15:30:
• Dr Alona Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Energy and Environmental Sciences, Lancaster University
• Judicaelle Hammond, Director of Policy and Advice, Country Land and Business Association
• Paul Miner, Head of Planning and Policy, CPRE The Countryside Charity