Short answer: In the Church of England, solar panels on a church always need permission under the faculty system. Since 1 July 2022, panels on a church that isn’t listed and isn’t in a conservation area can use the simpler List B route, with the archdeacon’s written agreement. Listed churches, and churches in conservation areas, need a full faculty, and often planning permission too. Visible panels on a listed church aren’t ruled out, but they need a stronger case.
Key facts
- The List B change came in with the Faculty Jurisdiction (Amendment) Rules 2022, from 1 July 2022.
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List B also covers solar on church halls and other buildings within the faculty system, subject to the same listing and conservation area conditions.
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The archdeacon must take account of the Church Buildings Council’s guidance on net zero.
- Church of England guidance describes solar as “the icing on the cake”: best done after lighting, heating controls and insulation.
Which route applies to your church?
| Your church | Route | Planning permission? |
|---|---|---|
| Not listed, not in a conservation area | List B (archdeacon’s written notice) | Usually not needed. Check locally |
| In a conservation area | Full faculty | Possibly. Check with the local planning authority |
| Listed (any grade) | Full faculty | Often needed, and listed building considerations apply |
| Church hall, not listed, not in a conservation area | List B | Usually not needed. Check locally |
Your DAC secretary (Diocesan Advisory Committee) will confirm which route applies. Talk to them early, before you commission a full design. Other denominations have their own systems, so check with your own denomination’s buildings advisers.
Is solar right for your church?
Solar works best where there’s steady daytime use: a weekday nursery, café, office, foodbank or regular hall bookings. A church used mainly on Sunday mornings will export most of what it makes. Other things that help:
- A sound roof. Repairs come first.
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A less sensitive roof. The hall, vestry, vicarage or a hidden roof slope is often easier than the main church roof, and can sometimes take a bigger array.
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A battery, if evening events and lighting would use stored power.
The Church of England suggests asking an MCS-certified installer for a free desktop survey as the first step, to see whether it’s worth taking further. We’re MCS certified (NIC-601602) and we’re happy to do this.
What the DAC will want to see
For a full faculty, and often for a List B notice too, expect to provide:
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A statement of needs: why you want solar, and how much of the power you’ll use.
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A statement of significance: what’s special about the building and its setting. Your church may already have one.
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Drawings and a description of the work: panel layout, sightlines and what’s visible from where.
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Technical details: panels, fixings, cable routes, and where the inverter and any battery go.
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A structural statement covering the weight of the array and wind loading.
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An impact statement: how the work affects the building, and how it can be reversed in future.
We prepare the technical parts, including layouts, specifications, cable routes, generation estimates and the information for the structural statement, and work alongside your architect or inspecting architect where you have one.
Making a listed church case stronger
- Use the least visible roof. A rear slope, a valley or a parapeted roof hidden from the street.
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Keep it reversible. Fixings that can be removed without damaging historic fabric.
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Think about colour. All-black panels sit more quietly on dark roofs.
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Put the kit somewhere sensible. Inverters and batteries in a vestry, tower base or hall, with cable routes that avoid historic features.
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Consider the hall instead. A big array on the hall may beat a small one on the church.
Paying for it
Look at the Decarbonising Churches Grant Fund and the other routes on our solar panels for churches page. Installing on a building used by a qualifying charity is currently zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027. See the charity solar VAT deadline. The Church of England also notes that community energy groups can lease church roofs. See community energy solar funding.
How we run a church project
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Desktop survey: roof, orientation, shading and a rough generation estimate. Free.
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Talk to the DAC: you approach the DAC secretary, and we give you what you need for that first conversation.
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Survey and design: roof, structure, access, electrics and kit locations.
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Faculty or List B paperwork: our technical drawings and statements alongside your statements of need and significance.
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Installation: planned around services, weddings, funerals and events, with careful access to historic fabric.
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Handover: MCS certificate, documentation and monitoring, plus our 24-month workmanship warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a faculty for solar panels on our church? For Church of England churches, yes, you need permission under the faculty system. Panels on a church that isn’t listed and isn’t in a conservation area can use the simpler List B route. Your DAC secretary will confirm which applies.
What is List B? List B is a list of minor works that can go ahead with the archdeacon’s written notice instead of a full faculty. Since 1 July 2022, it has included solar panels on churches and church halls that aren’t listed and aren’t in a conservation area.
Can a listed church have solar panels? It can, but each case is judged on its merits. Visible panels need a stronger case for the benefits, and planning permission may also be needed. A less visible roof slope or the church hall often works better.
How long does faculty permission take? It varies by diocese and by how complex the case is. List B is usually much quicker than a full faculty. Talk to your DAC secretary early, so the paperwork runs alongside your fundraising.
Start with a free desktop survey
Send us the church’s address and, if you can, a recent electricity bill. We’ll tell you which roofs could work and give you a rough idea of generation to take to your PCC and DAC.
Book a free survey · Call 01482 765063
Related guides: Solar panels for churches · Decarbonising Churches Grant Fund · Solar panels for charities
