The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has responded to the recent confirmation that solar panels will be installed on the "majority of new homes in England" under the Future Homes Standard.

While the NFRC supports the expansion of rooftop solar, the organisation is urging Government ministers to ensure that safety frameworks and professional standards keep pace with these ambitious targets.

Despite its support for increased solar capacity, the NFRC has identified critical unresolved issues regarding installer competence, fire safety testing, and the clear delineation of responsibilities between different trades. The federation warns that today's announcement pushes for faster deployment before these essential safety and professional gaps have been adequately addressed.

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Ben Rowlands, NFRC Head of Solar PV, commented: "The direction of travel is right, and we want solar to succeed. But rooftop solar is a roofing system decision as much as an electrical one, and the current accreditation framework does not reflect that. Industry is still working through where responsibilities between trades begin and end, and consumers are bearing the risk in the meantime."

The NFRC also pointed to a worrying trend in safety data, noting that the frequency of solar-related fires is currently increasing at approximately double the rate of new installations.

Mr Rowlands added: "The more solar we put into the built environment, the more important it becomes to get the basics right. Solar-related fires are already rising at roughly twice the rate of installations. We cannot keep scaling deployment and hope the safety framework catches up. This not only risks homeowner safety, but also the future of the industry."

As the Government moves forward with the Future Homes Standard and the Warm Homes Plan, the NFRC is calling for roofing expertise to be properly represented within the delivery workforce. The federation maintains that rooftop solar must be treated as an integral part of the building envelope rather than an isolated electrical add-on.