180 kWp Supported Living — 40-Home LD/MH Portfolio Rollout

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 the project 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.