Ministers must cut obstacles to installing solar panels on tenement rooftops, according to a motion submitted by SNP members for debate at the party' conference.
The call to the government by activists appears on the provisional agenda for the event to be held in Edinburgh at the end of this month and comes amid a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2045 which will mean the country will have to reduce emissions from fossil fuel heating systems in homes and other buildings.
The motion put down by the SNP's Peterhead branch notes the 40% of homes in Scotland are tenements, the potential solar panels have on generating renewable energy and decreasing fuel bills for households and urges ministers to "address the current obstacles" on installing the devices across so many residential properties.
"Conference acknowledges the advantages of localised solar energy production in reducing energy costs and carbon emissions, recognises the efforts of the Scottish Government in promoting the expansion of solar energy; notes that 40% of homes in Scotland are categorised as tenement properties, with 28% of urban homes (around 573,000) falling under tenement housing," the resolution states.
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"Conference further acknowledges the existing barriers to installing solar panels on tenement housing; recognises the significant potential for energy production from tenement buildings through the installation of solar panels on communal roofs and gardens; conference calls on the Scottish Government to address the current obstacles related to fitting solar panels on tenement properties."
Few traditional tenement properties have solar panels on their roofs, although they are more common in new build blocks of flats.
For example, The Herald reported in May, that a new £11.1 million residential development in Glasgow’s west end would be fitted with solar panels and other clean energy heating devices.
The 48 two-bedroomed flat project, by Nixon Blue on behalf of Blackfinch Property, in Partick and will offer “modern amenities and green technology, including solar panels and waste-water heat recovery systems”, our report stated.
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Helen Melone, head of heat and solar at Scottish Renewables, said the ownership of a tenement roof is communal and agreement from each flat's owner was required for panels to be installed.
She added that if even if every owner agreed panels could only be installed once planning consent had been given and that the planning process could be long and costly with no guarantee of success.
"A significant barrier to installing solar panels on the rooftops of traditional tenements is that the consent of each property owner within these buildings is required for any project to go ahead," she said.
“Property owners who do reach an agreement are then required to go through the full planning application process which can hinder the development due to the substantial delays and costs involved with no guarantee of planning permission being approved."
Ms Melone said the solar industry sector was calling on the Scottish Government to ease the rules.
“To incentivise the deployment of all rooftop solar in Scotland, the solar industry is urging the Scottish Government to permit the installation of rooftop solar on listed buildings and tenements and for local authorities to implement a place-based model for rooftop solar within their heat and energy efficiency strategies," she said.
Imogen Dow, head of campaigns for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Solar energy is a hugely popular climate solution so decision makers should be pulling out all the stops to get it on suitable rooftops.
"Widening the access to reliable, affordable renewable energy will help show people the positives of moving beyond powering our lives with fossil fuels.
“Expanding solar should be part of a wider programme of action that ensures that every home is warm, energy efficient and powered by renewables."
It is also understood that solar panels on tenements also require batteries to store the energy generated for when it is needed.
In addition the removal of solar from the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme has removed any incentive for owners or landlords to install rooftop solar on their properties.
Scottish Greens co leader Patrick Harvie said: "De-carbonising our homes and making them greener and cheaper to heat is essential to tackling the climate crisis and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
“There is a lot of crucial work to be done in terms of overcoming the significant legal and financial barriers that currently exist, and we need to take the time to get that right.
“But those longer-term issues that need to be resolved should not deter us from taking action to support households who are ready and able to make the shift.
“One positive step that could be taken in the short-term would be to provide greater grant and loan support, as well as advice and assistance, to groups of residents in circumstances where there is already joint agreement between all owners in a block.
“Those cases will be limited in number, but by taking those kinds of proactive steps to support “early adopters” we can better identify problems and solutions.”
Homes and workplaces account for around a fifth of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings strategy published in 2021.
A report by Audit Scotland warned in February that “the scale of the challenge of reducing emissions from heating homes is huge”, adding “there are several risks to success”.
It stated: “Unless the scale and pace of activity significantly increase, the Scottish Government’s ambition will not be met.”
It is estimated that the Heat in Buildings Strategy could cost £33 billion to the public sector, businesses and households, but the Scottish Government has only committed £1.8bn of public money in this parliamentary term.
Net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those that remain need to be matched by actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Natural removal methods include planting trees and restoring peatlands.
An SNP spokeswoman said the final agenda for SNP conference is still under consideration.
The event takes place from August 30 to September 1.
The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
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