180 kWp Supported Living — 40-Home LD/MH Portfolio Rollout
- System size
- 180 kWp (across 40 homes)
- Annual saving
- £38,000
- Payback
- 6 years
- Location
- UK-wide
Scenario
A national supported-living provider operating 320 homes for adults with learning disabilities (LD), mental health (MH), and autism spectrum conditions. Combined annual electricity spend across portfolio £820,000. Tranche 1 of a planned 80-home decarbonisation programme — 40 homes selected on criteria of roof orientation, structural condition, demographic stability of tenants, and portfolio-procurement DNO regional clustering.
Tenants pay their own electricity bills under assured shorthold tenancies; provider is the landlord. Provider’s commercial case rested on ESG investor reporting, commissioner-tender sustainability scoring, and a tenant-outcome narrative around energy poverty reduction.
This case study is an illustrative composite based on representative engagement with major UK LD/MH supported-living providers. Specific identifying details are anonymised.
What we delivered
- Combined system size: 180 kWp across 40 homes (range 3–8 kWp per home)
- Standardised technical specification: Same panel manufacturer (JA Solar 540W), same inverter manufacturer (Sungrow), same monitoring platform across all 40 homes
- Per-home install: Typically 8–15 panels per home, single G98 application (under 17 kW), 3–5 working days on site
- DBS-cleared install personnel: Enhanced DBS + LD/MH-specific safeguarding awareness training for all on-site workforce
- Tenant-engagement protocol: Pre-install resident induction with positive behaviour support lead at each home
- G98 approvals: Average 6 weeks per home (faster than G99 typical 4–12 weeks)
- Commissioning: All 40 homes commissioned across 11 months
Results across the portfolio
| Metric | 40-home tranche 1 total |
|---|---|
| Combined system capacity | 180 kWp |
| Combined annual generation | 170,000 kWh |
| Tenants self-consume (assumed 60%) | 102,000 kWh |
| Combined tenant annual saving (at 27p import) | ~£27,500 |
| Operator export income (SEG-equivalent retained on tenant-pays model) | £5,400 |
| CO₂ avoided across portfolio | 19,500 kg |
| Capex per home (post-volume procurement, 18% discount vs single-home pricing) | £3,800 |
| Combined capex tranche 1 | £152,000 |
Funding structure
Operator-owned, capex-funded from balance sheet. AIA claimed at group level — for a £152k tranche 1 spend, £38k AIA tax shield at 25% main rate.
For the operator’s commercial case, the payback model is unique vs mainstream care home solar: savings flow to tenants (not operator), but operator benefits captured via:
- Commissioning premia from LA contracts — three LAs (Hampshire, Manchester, Devon) pay £4-£8/bed/week uplift on supported-living contracts where carbon reduction action is documented. Across 40 homes serving 180 tenants, this adds £37,400-£74,800/year of revenue.
- ESG investor reporting — Annual Scope 2 reduction of 14% across the portfolio in year-one of programme, supporting ongoing ESG investor scoring.
- Tenant outcomes narrative — reduced energy poverty risk + visible sustainability commitment. Cited in commissioner-tender responses.
Net commercial position year 1 for operator: approximately +£50,000 (after AIA tax shield + LA commissioning revenue uplift).
Specific protocols for LD/MH supported living
Three install-protocol adjustments shaped the programme:
1. Pre-install positive behaviour support consultation. For each home, our Care Sector PM consulted with the home’s positive behaviour support lead before mobilisation. Contractor identification (some tenants are anxious around high-vis clothing — adjusted as needed), quiet-working windows, predictable scheduling.
2. MCA / DoLS awareness across the install workforce. All install personnel completed Mental Capacity Act awareness training before mobilisation. Movement through tenant-occupied homes coordinated via the home’s support staff.
3. Tenancy-law-aware installation. Coordinated with the operator’s housing team on tenancy notification (14–28 days before mobilisation per home). Tenant attendance optional at the brief 3-hour DNO connection window.
Multi-DNO coordination
The 40 homes spanned 4 UK DNO regions:
- UK Power Networks (16 homes, London + South East + East)
- National Grid Electricity Distribution (10 homes, Midlands + South West)
- Northern Powergrid (8 homes, Yorkshire + North East)
- Electricity North West (6 homes, North West)
Standardised G98 application templates with each DNO reduced per-home application preparation by 60%. Group sequenced batches matching each DNO’s capacity profile.
Forward programme
Tranche 1 success (40 homes, 11-month delivery) triggered Tranche 2 planning for an additional 40 homes commissioning across 2027. Total programme target: 80 homes by end-2027 (25% of portfolio). Aspirational: 240 homes by 2030 (75% of portfolio) including the wider 280-home cohort not yet in scope.
Operator quote
“Supported living solar economics are different from mainstream care. The tenant-pays-electricity model means savings flow away from the operator, not to us. But the LA commissioning premia and ESG investor scoring uplift more than offset that — and the tenant-outcome narrative around energy poverty is a meaningful sustainability story we can take to our commissioners. We’re now planning Tranche 2 with the same standardised spec.”
— Director of Property and Procurement