Give ALL new-builds solar roofs

I read with great interest in last week’s Mail on Sunday how the UK’s energy production has fallen to its lowest level in more than 50 years.

At present, we are importing an unsustainable amount of energy, and with the need to reduce carbon emissions to cool the Earth’s atmosphere, becoming self-sufficient is crucial to our future.

Rather than building new nuclear power stations, which take time and need skilled staff to maintain them, we should invest in solar, wind and wave power. These low-cost options provide round-the-clock energy and in the meantime, we can continue importing oil and gas from the North Sea and extracting shale gas.

All new buildings should install solar panels, as well as any existing tall and flat-roofed structures, and small wind turbines could be placed in city centres where traffic would disguise noise pollution.

As for wave power, we live on a large island so there should be no problem finding suitable sites.

These ideas would benefit the UK’s economy and could even see the country one day exporting its own energy.

C. Humphris, Stockport