The debate about solar farms is taking up more and more space. But in the discussion about farmland, nature, and expansion, we are overlooking one crucial point
The debate about solar parks on agricultural land is taking up more and more space. But amid the discussion about fields, nature, and expansion, we overlook one crucial point: above our heads lies a documented and enormous untapped potential – solar panels on roofs in the form of solar roof tiles, or tiles with integrated solar cells. We are occupying valuable farmland and natural areas even though it is actually not necessary.
Solar parks and offshore wind turbines have become the symbols of the green transition. At the same time, Denmark has millions of roofs, coverings, and buildings that already take up space in the landscape. Roofs ready for replacement and containing carcinogenic asbestos alone are estimated to number 1.3 million. These existing areas can be utilized without taking more land and without triggering new conflicts between agriculture, residents, nature interests, and the land requirements of the energy sector. Roofs with solar cells—whether traditional solar panel systems or integrated solar tiles—represent a logical and sustainable alternative to both large solar parks and energy crops.
While solar parks occupy valuable hectares, roof-based solar solutions build on what is already there. A typical single-family house can deliver 8,000–12,000 kWh a year, and large roofs on commercial buildings or institutions can produce even more. If just 20% of Denmark’s suitable roof area were put to use, the need for many of the widely debated solar parks could be significantly reduced.
We know the production levels for ground-mounted installations: 1 hectare of solar panels generates 1,000–1,200 MWh annually. The same technology can be installed on rooftops—simply without occupying any additional land. Therefore, the focus is no longer on energy per hectare, but on producing green electricity without using a single extra square meter of land. Glostrup Stationspark is a good example of a local power plant on a large building.
Solar parks generate revenue through rental income and taxes, but rooftop solar creates value locally:
Homeowners benefit from significantly lower electricity bills
Property values increase
Municipalities and the state receive tax revenue through increased property value, construction work, and energy upgrades
Local communities avoid large, dominating installations in the landscape
Locally produced electricity from rooftops is consumed where it is generated
With building-integrated solutions, the roof also becomes an aesthetic asset rather than a technical addition that disrupts the architecture.
If the goal is to produce as much green energy as possible with the fewest conflicts and the least impact on the landscape, rooftops are a logical starting point and offer several advantages:
No additional land use
High, stable, and local energy production
Discreet solutions—especially when integrated into the building
Local economic benefits without large installations in open countryside
Solar parks still have their relevance—especially because the value of solar installations in taxes and local contributions is 50 times higher than the value of equivalent agricultural land, according to a new report from Green Power Denmark.
However, in the broader land-use debate, rooftops, buildings, and local electricity production should be the first choice. Here, large amounts of green energy can be harvested without burdening nature, agriculture, or local communities. This creates economic benefits for individual owners of rooftops with solar production. Large installations on big buildings can become local power plants, as we see at Glostrup Stationspark.
Could terraced houses and clustered residential areas become the local energy centers of the future? Combining solar energy with shared battery systems in smaller residential areas opens up entirely new opportunities for local energy production and management. In many older terraced and low-density neighborhoods, roofs are already due for renovation. By simultaneously installing shared solar panels and a communal battery (BESS), a new type of energy model emerges: local production, local storage, and a local electricity price.
Solar panels generate electricity at very low marginal costs. When electricity is stored in a shared battery, the neighborhood can use the cheap solar energy during times when both demand and market prices are higher.
This allows an energy community to smooth the gap between the general spot price and the actual production cost. The result is an internal electricity price that is significantly lower than the market price because residents pay for the energy they produce themselves—not for the most expensive forms of energy on the market.
These types of housing have specific advantages:
Uniform roof surfaces
Closely linked consumption patterns
Short cable lengths and minimal transmission losses
High local self-consumption rates
Easy installation of shared batteries and shared management
This makes it both technically simple and economically attractive to establish small, localized energy communities.
The benefits are tangible:
Lower internal electricity prices
Reduced sensitivity to market fluctuations
Higher degree of self-sufficiency
Opportunity to offer surplus capacity to the grid
In short: the value of solar production stays in the local area rather than being lost to the market.
Although energy communities are included in the government’s 2024 solar strategy, the potential for terraced houses and clustered residential areas with shared solar panels and batteries is surprisingly underrepresented in the debate. Here, many citizens can see a real difference on their electricity bills—while local areas gain co-ownership of the green transition and a more resilient, decentralized electricity supply.
The new national architecture policy, “An Attractive Future – A Shared Standpoint in a Changing World,” launched by the Ministry of Culture and Jakob Engel-Schmidt on November 10, 2025, sets out eight principles for the architecture of the future. These are intended to serve as a strong guide for municipalities, many of which still lack a comprehensive architectural policy.
THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES:
1️⃣ Prioritize care and beauty
2️⃣ Maintain, renovate, and transform
3️⃣ Build circularly
4️⃣ Allow space for nature in cities
5️⃣ Strengthen holistic land-use planning
6️⃣ Foster local values and cultural heritage
7️⃣ Create diverse housing types
8️⃣ Prioritize new, binding coordination
(Source: Danish Association of Architects)
It is clear how Solartag’s matte, sleek, energy-producing roof solution directly supports several of these principles and makes it easier for both private builders and municipalities to implement them in practice:
Care and beauty: Our roof solution appears as a classic, harmonious roof—simply with integrated solar cells that do not disrupt the architecture.
Renovation instead of demolition: As a lightweight roof, Solartag’s integrated solution allows existing buildings to be upgraded and transformed rather than rebuilt.
Circular construction: The Solartag is based on solar energy, EPD-certified, has a long lifespan, and reduces the need for new materials. High recycling rates are documented in the EPD.
Local values and cultural heritage: The matte surface and hidden solar cells make the solution suitable for historic, urban, and aesthetically sensitive environments.
Holistic planning: Rooftop solar strengthens local energy communities and reduces the need for large, ground-mounted solar parks.
For construction projects, municipal buildings, or residential areas seeking to translate the architecture policy goals into action, Solartag offers a solution that combines architectural quality with energy production—and aligns with both policy and local identity. The fact that a sound economic model underpins it makes the choice even more attractive, whether the active rooftop solution consists of solar roof tiles, solar shingles, solar panels, or another type of integrated solar cells. The main point is to activate the many square meters we already have available.
