Edward Miliband says he wants to launch a "solar rooftop revolution" as he takes steps to boost Britain's solar power capacity.
The new energy secretary has relaunched the Solar Taskforce with the goal of tripling the amount of electricity generated by solar panels in the UK.
He also wants to overhaul planning rules to emphasise the importance of solar for new buildings.
This comes after Miliband approved three large solar farms on Friday evening that will generate a combined 1.3GW of electricity, the equivalent of powering 400,000 homes a year.
"I want to spark a solar rooftop revolution in the UK," Miliband said.
"We will do everything we can to encourage builders and homeowners to bring this win-win technology to millions of addresses across the UK so people can provide their own electricity, reduce their electricity bills and help tackle climate change at the same time," he added.
The relaunched Solar Taskforce will bring together industry experts and government with the goal of tripling solar power generation by 2030.
The energy secretary will also consult on additional measures in the national planning policy framework to emphasise the importance of solar, while the latest building standards due to come into force next year will have similar targets.
On Friday, Miliband approved three major solar projects - the Gateburton project in Lincolnshire, the Mallard Pass project on the border of Rutland and Lincolnshire, and the Sunnica project in Suffolk.
Miliband has been accused of jeopardizing national food security by approving the construction of the UK's largest solar farm on greenfield land despite objections from officials, sparking criticism from MPs and campaigners.