30 kWp Solar on a 28-Bed Specialist Dementia Home

Scenario

A 28-bed specialist dementia care home in the East Midlands. Annual electricity bill £21,000 with 24/7 secure-unit lighting, commercial kitchen, and high staffing levels driving exceptional baseload. Operator: specialist dementia provider running three homes in the region.

The install required particular sensitivity — the home accommodates residents at moderate-to-advanced stages of dementia, several of whom are identified as wandering risks under their care plans. Anti-ligature considerations, quiet-working protocols, and DoLS awareness shaped the install programme.

This case study is an illustrative composite based on representative dementia-care engagements. Specific identifying details are anonymised.

What the project delivered

• System size: 30 kWp (55 × 545W panels on south-east-facing pitched roof)
• Inverter: 1 × 25 kW string inverter, mounted in dedicated plant room
• Anti-ligature cable routing: All cabling internal to service voids; no exposed runs in resident-accessible zones
• Battery storage: 20 kWh LFP for resident-safety resilience (call systems, secure-unit door access, emergency lighting)
• Live generation display: Reception screen with dementia-friendly visual design (large numerals, high contrast, no flashing elements)
• Commissioning date: May 2026

Results — year 1

Metric	Year 1
Generation	28,500 kWh
Self-consumption (with battery)	68% (19,400 kWh)
Energy saving (import offset at 27p)	£5,240
SEG export income (9,100 kWh at 8p)	£730
Total year-1 saving	£5,970
CO₂ avoided	6,560 kg
Simple payback	5 years

Install protocol adjustments for dementia setting

Three specific adjustments shaped the programme:

1. Site induction. All install personnel completed a dementia-friendly site induction before mobilisation. Topics included: communication with residents who may approach contractors, recognising signs of distress, what to do if a resident attempts to enter a work zone, contractor identification (high-visibility clothing potentially distressing — moderated for site work), and who to contact from the home’s team for any incident.

2. Quiet-working protocols. The home’s activities coordinator provided a daily activity schedule. Noisier operations (roof penetration, scaffolding lifts, drilling) were scheduled around structured activities and quiet periods. Specifically, no noisy work between 13:30 and 15:00 (post-lunch rest period) or after 16:00 (pre-evening agitation window common in dementia settings).

3. Anti-ligature cable routing. Visible cabling within secure units was eliminated entirely. All DC runs route through service voids in the ceiling above the secure unit; AC distribution from inverter to consumer unit routes through staff-only corridors. The DC isolator is mounted in the staff-only plant room. The inverter is mounted at high level in the plant room behind locked access.

Family engagement

The home’s manager held a pre-install family meeting (4 weeks before mobilisation) explaining the project. Family Q&A topics covered:

• Will my relative notice the work? (Brief disruption during scaffolding erection only)
• Will it disturb sleep patterns? (No — work scheduled 09:00–16:30 only)
• Is battery storage safe given fire risk? (LFP chemistry, external siting, BS EN 62619 compliant)
• How will residents react to the live display? (Dementia-friendly visual design)

A second family meeting was held at commissioning, including a tour of the live display. The display has been positively received, particularly by adult-child family members who appreciate the visible carbon-saving narrative.

CQC outcome

The home was inspected three months after commissioning (Q3 2026). The Well-led rating moved from Good to Outstanding, citing:

• Visible sustainability commitment
• Family-facing communication of environmental impact
• Staff awareness of carbon savings (one staff member spontaneously referenced the live display generation figure when greeting the inspector)
• Integration of sustainability into care planning (the dementia-friendly display being commented on by relatives during structured family conversations)

The dementia-friendly nature of the visual display was specifically noted as evidence of resident-centred design under the Caring KLOE.

Battery storage rationale

For dementia care, battery storage justification is primarily resident-safety resilience rather than economics. The 20 kWh LFP battery powers a dedicated critical-load circuit covering:

• Nurse call and secure-unit alarm systems (3 kW)
• Secure-unit door access controls including dementia-friendly entry/exit management (2 kW)
• Emergency lighting beyond standard 3-hour spec
• Medication refrigeration
• Fire alarm panel

Total critical load: 6 kW continuous, peak 9 kW. The 20 kWh battery provides approximately 3–4 hours of continuous critical-load operation during outage. LFP chemistry only — non-negotiable for a vulnerable-occupant secure setting.