240-Unit Care Village — Whole-Estate Decarbonisation Phase 1
- System size
- 580 kWp solar + 280 kWh battery + 32 EV chargers
- Annual saving
- £128,000
- Payback
- 5 years
- Location
- South West
Scenario
A 240-unit Audley-style care village operating in the South West with integrated independent-living apartments, assisted-living units, and a 32-bed nursing care suite. Annual electricity bill £450,000 pre-installation. Group-level sustainability committee committed to TCFD-aligned reporting and a 2035 net-zero operational target.
Phase 1 of a planned 5-phase whole-estate decarbonisation programme. Phase 1 scope: solar PV across all four main rooftops, LFP battery storage in dedicated external plant rooms, and 32 EV charging points across resident, staff, and visitor parking with smart load management.
This case study is an illustrative composite based on representative premium care village engagements. Specific identifying details are anonymised.
What we delivered — Phase 1 (April 2026)
- Solar PV: 580 kWp across four main rooftops (clubhouse/restaurant, wellness suite, central care suite, and main residential block)
- Battery storage: 280 kWh LFP in two dedicated external plant rooms with gas-suppression fire protection
- EV charging: 32 × 22 kW chargers (12 resident, 12 staff, 8 visitor) with OCPP load management
- G99 connection: 380 kW export-limited, 22 weeks approval (negotiated to meet phase 1 programme)
- Workplace Charging Scheme grant: £11,200 received (32 sockets × £350)
- Live generation displays: Reception screens in 3 locations (main reception, restaurant, wellness suite)
- Group monitoring integration: Live data feed to group’s central sustainability dashboard
Results — year 1
| Metric | Year 1 |
|---|---|
| Generation | 545,000 kWh |
| Self-consumption (with battery) | 72% (392,400 kWh) |
| Energy saving (import offset at 27p) | £106,000 |
| SEG export income (152,600 kWh at 8p) | £12,200 |
| Total energy cost saving | £118,200 |
| EV charging revenue (visitor + resident) | £34,000 |
| WCS grant (one-off) | £11,200 |
| Combined year-1 financial benefit | £163,400 |
| CO₂ avoided | 121 tCO₂e |
| IRR (capital purchase + AIA) | 17% |
| Simple payback | 5 years |
Programme structure — Phases 2-5 planned
- Phase 2 (2027): Air-source heat pump replacing gas central heating system. £950k capex. Expected payback 9 years including SEG, AIA tax shield, and continued energy savings.
- Phase 3 (2028): Fabric upgrades — insulation, glazing, smart heating controls across all 240 units and communal facilities. £450k.
- Phase 4 (2029): EV charging expansion to 60 sockets total, plus battery storage expansion to 400 kWh. £180k less WCS grants.
- Phase 5 (2030): Ground-mount expansion using a 1.5-acre paddock on the estate perimeter. 250 kWp ground-mount, taking total installed capacity to 830 kWp. £210k.
Total Phase 1-5 programme value: £2.1m over 4 years. Expected end-state position: ~85% renewable energy supply on operational footprint, Scope 2 reduction to near-zero, Scope 1 reduction by ~75%.
Sales and marketing impact — measurable
The 2025 sales report (covering the year of Phase 1 installation and 6 months post-commissioning) showed:
- 21% uplift in unit sales velocity versus the prior year — outlier strong, attributed to combination of installation visibility and broader sustainability marketing repositioning
- 31% increase in unprompted “sustainability commitment” mentions in prospect-meeting notes (recorded by sales team)
- 3 of 8 prospect-survey responses in Q3 2026 cited “environmental commitment” as a primary or secondary reason for selection (vs zero in Q3 2025)
- ESG investor scoring improved from B to A on independent benchmarker (GRESB equivalent)
The operator now references the installation prominently in sales literature, on the website, and in investor presentations as a flagship sustainability commitment.
TCFD-aligned investor disclosure
The installation contributes to the group’s TCFD-aligned climate disclosures (mandatory for UK premium-listed companies since 2021, progressively extended through 2025 to broader scope):
- Scope 1 baseline (gas heating dominates): 1,490 tCO₂e/year pre-Phase 2
- Scope 2 baseline (purchased electricity): 119 tCO₂e/year
- Year-1 post-Phase 1 Scope 2: 32 tCO₂e/year (-73% on installed site)
- Group-level reduction following rollout to 2 further villages: ~330 tCO₂e/year (~17% group Scope 2)
- TCFD scenario analysis: Showed positive resilience to 1.5°C and 2°C transition pathways. Carbon-pricing sensitivity reduced by ~£180k/year exposure across the group post-rollout.
Resident and visitor reception
The visible installation has been positively received across resident and visitor groups:
- Residents: Live generation displays in reception areas are cited in resident meeting feedback as a tangible signal of the operator’s long-term commitment. One resident-led “green committee” has formed and meets quarterly.
- Visitors: Family members visiting residents have commented on the chargers — particularly visitors driving EVs from London/Bristol/Bath (typical 60-90 minute drives to the village).
- Prospects: Pre-purchase visitors increasingly enquire about sustainability commitments, often as part of the broader value comparison versus competing premium villages.
Operator quote
“Phase 1 was the test for Phases 2 through 5. The economics had to work, the install couldn’t disrupt residents, and the investor narrative had to hold up to scrutiny. All three landed. The 21% sales uplift was the surprise — we modelled break-even on sales velocity and got materially better than that. Phases 2-5 are now in detailed planning. By 2030 we expect to be one of the lowest-emissions retirement villages in the UK.”
— Group Director of Sustainability