Solar panels - standalone within the curtilage of a residential
property
There are presently two types of solar panel available for
domestic use - photovoltaic (PV) and thermal.
Solar thermal systems: A solar thermal system
uses the sun's energy to warm a heat conductive fluid that
passes through panels usually located on the roof of a building.
The heat energy collected is then passed though a heat exchanger
into a tank of stored water thereby raising its temperature. The
warmed water is then fed into your domestic boiler where
additional heat is added if neccesary and then on to your taps
etc.
Photovoltaic systems (PV): A photovoltaic
system converts the sun's light energy directly into electricity
which is then fed into your domestic electrical system.
Whilst contributing to your home's energy demands
effective photovoltaic panels have the potential to
generate a surplus supply of electricity which can be sold to the
national grid to generate an income. Government backed
Feed-In
Tarriffs (FITs) are available for those looking to
sell electicity back to the grid.
Further details of this, together with other ways to help reduce
your home's impact on the environment can be found on the Council's
Climate Change: Residents
section.
Do I need planning permission?
As of 1 December 2011 if you want to install solar panels that
are mounted to the ground, (i.e. not on a building), planning
permission is not required as long as:
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This will be the only stand alone solar present
within the curtilage
Any part of the solar equipment does not:
- Exceed four metres in height
- Come closer to the highway than the part
of the dwelling or
block of flats nearest
the highway
Fall within five metres of the boundary of the curtilage (the
boundary of the property)
The surface area does not exceed 9 square metres or three metres in
any dimension (length, width or height)
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Additional site specific restrictions
In addition to the above criteria there are still site specific
restrictions that may apply to your residential property.
You can use our online mapping service to check to see if
these restrictions apply to your property.
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Standalone solar panels mut not be
located within the curtilage of a listed
building or scheduled ancient monument.
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Conditions
If your proposed turbine meets all of the above criteria you do
not need to apply for planning permission before you install the
device, however there are still a number of conditions
that apply. These are as follows:
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The solar equipment shall be located as far as practicable, so
as to minimise its effect on the amenity of the area.
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The equipment shall be removed when no longer in
use.
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What next?
If you are looking to be able to sell any excess
electricity generated back to the National Grid you will need to be
registered on a Feed-in tariff (FITs). In order
to be able to be eligible for the Feed-in Tariff your system must
be installed by an MCS accredited installer. To search for an MCS
approved installer you can refer to the
MCS Installer Search page. For more
general information and guidance on installing solar panels please
refer to the
Energy Saving Trust website.
Definitions
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Block of flats means any building which
consists wholly of flats
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Detached dwellinghouse or detached
building means a dwellinghouse or building, as the
case may be, which does not share a party wall with a neighbouring
building
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MSC Planning Standards means the product and
installation standards for air sourse heat pumps and wind turbines
specified in Microgeneration Certificate Scheme MSC 020(b) – we
recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified and experienced
supplier with regard to this aspect. Safeguarded land = land which:
(a) Is necessary to be safeguarded for aviation or defence
purposes; and (b) Has been notified as such, in writing, to the
Secretary of State by an aerodrome operator, NATS (EN ROUTE) PLC or
the Secretary of State for Defence for the purposes of these
regulations
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Stand alone solar means solar
thermal or PV equipment which is not installed on a building |
Disclaimer
This advice is not meant as a substitute for the actual
regulations contained in The Town and Country Planning (General
Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) Order 2011. You can
check this regulation by visiting www.legislation.gov.uk
Peterborough City Council Planning Services recommends that
before proceeding with any development that you obtain written
advice from the Council with regard to whether planning permission
is required. Please refer to the main Do I need planning permission?
page for further details.