Roof-mounted solar panels to be made compulsory throughout the EU

The EU’s new solar energy strategy, just unveiled, envisions solar panels on all residential roofs throughout Europe as of 2029, according to the REPowerEU plan.

The initiative for compulsory roof-mounted solar panel installations will begin with public and commercial buildings in 2026, followed by private homes in 2029.

As part of the plan, the EU has called for roof-mounted PV licensing procedures to be restricted to no more than three months, as well as for new buildings with specifications enabling solar-panel hosting.

EU member states will need to remove any obstacles preventing further RES expansion, while municipalities with populations of more than 10,000 will need to establish at least one energy community as of 2025. Also, low-income households and persons with special needs will need to be given access to energy communities.

The EU plan for roof-mounted solar panels is expected to add 19 TWh from the first year of development and 58 TWh by 2025.