Miniature homes showcase real policy clashes. Inside the playful model village putting UK energy politics on display
We tour through the little village that highlights the benefits of renewable energy(Image credit: Good Energy)
In a playful yet poignant display, Good Energy has transformed Southsea Model Village into "Sunshine Place," a miniature neighborhood showcasing the potential of renewable energy in everyday life.
The installation features tiny eco homes equipped with solar panels and heat pumps, alongside miniature figures of prominent political figures, including Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, symbolising the national discourse on climate policy.
We tour the tiny village and explore what message the village is trying to highlight.
Miniature homes, major message
The village include 12 homes that have renewable energy installed(Image credit: Good Energy)
The miniature village showcases 12 new tiny homes outfitted with solar panels and heat pumps, along with eight retrofitted buildings - demonstrating that even the most compact properties can embrace renewable tech.
Nigel Pocklington, CEO of Good Energy, said: “Small changes can have a big impact. Sunshine Place demonstrates what a greener, cleaner future could look like in the UK.”
Public placards explain energy subsidies, tackle myths about green tech, and make the case for more funding to ensure fairer access to clean home heating.
Mini politicians, real policy debate
The miniature village highlights the political debate around renewable energy with tiny figures of Ed Miliband and Nigel Farage arguing(Image credit: Good Energy)
In a creative twist, Sunshine Place includes handmade models of well-known political figures to highlight the spectrum of opinions in the UK's energy debate. Among them:
Get the Homebuilding & Renovating Newsletter
Bring your dream home to life with expert advice, how to guides and design inspiration. Sign up for our newsletter and get two free tickets to a Homebuilding & Renovating Show near you.
Ed Miliband, Labour’s Energy Secretary and clean energy champion
Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat MP and original sponsor of the Sunshine Bill
Miatta Fahnbulleh, Labour Minister for Energy Consumers, advocate for Warm Homes and Clean Heat plans
Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South and backer of energy bill support for local families
Nigel Farage, Reform UK MP and outspoken critic of green energy policies
By staging this visual clash between renewable advocates and sceptics in miniature form, Good Energy hopes to spark public and political imagination on what a truly sustainable future could look like.
Sunshine Bill reboot and policy push
Alongside the model village, Good Energy has written to MPs urging a revival of the now-defunct Sunshine Bill, which would mandate solar panels on all new homes. The campaign also calls for:
Removing green levies from electricity bills and shifting them into general taxation
More government funding for lower-income households to access heat pumps and solar
Accelerated political action ahead of a looming energy affordability crisis
“Helping people understand their options, the grants available, the money they can save, and their contribution to the nationwide push towards net zero is what has guided this feel-good campaign,” said Pocklington.
With household emissions still accounting for 17% of the UK’s carbon output, Sunshine Place delivers a serious message in a fun-sized format; when it comes to climate solutions, scale shouldn’t limit ambition.
News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals. Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.
