The NICW called for an “immediate review” into building regulations that would see all new housing developments fitted with solar panels and batteries to store excess energy.

The extremely low cost of both solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies is one of the reasons the NICW suggests mandating them on newbuilds.

According to the International Energy Agency, the cost of solar has plummeted in recent years because of improvements in panel technology. This has led to a higher percentage of sunlight being converted into electricity. In the early 1980s, the average cost of solar panels was around $30 (£24) per watt. Today, it is less than $0.50 (£0.40) per watt – a 98 per cent cost reduction.

The NICW said that solar thermal technologies in particular can make a sizeable impact on buildings with high demand for hot water, such as leisure centres, swimming pools and care homes.

It also said it had received evidence that housing developers were “banking...