Labour proposes enactment of 'solar rights'

Labour's environment spokesman Leo Brincat is urging the government to raise awareness about the right of access to sunlight and its energy and actually enact legislation about it.

In a statement on the subject, Mr Brincat referred to California's Solar Rights Act, which has been in force for almost 30 years, giving Californians the legal right to use sunlight for energy purposes without obstacles.

Incidentally, the matter was raised recently locally by Hydrologist Marco Cremona, who pointed out that some people were investing in solar power, only to find their roofs literally overshadowed by towering developments.

Solar rights would act as a safeguard against this sort of situation, Mr Brincat insisted.

"If we really want to incentivise the public to make use of solar water heaters, or photovoltaic panels, we must have a wide environmental vision that considers the access required to solar energy so that this apparatus is installed as a civil right that eventually will be protected by law," Mr Brincat said.

The use of photovoltaic panels, for example, is still quite limited due to economic factors, he pointed out.

He said the Labour Party had been stressing the need for the country to be more proactive in implementing measures that would lead to more efficient energy use.