720 kWp Care Village — CCRC Whole-Estate Year-1 Phase

Scenario

A 280-unit Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) operating in the Home Counties. Integrated independent-living apartments (220 units), assisted-living units (32), and a 28-bed nursing care suite. Annual electricity bill £555,000 across the integrated estate before install. Operator: specialist CCRC group running 8 villages across the UK, with institutional investor (private equity sponsor + 2 pension fund LPs).

Phase 1 of a planned 5-phase whole-estate decarbonisation programme committed to a 2035 net-zero operational target. Phase 1 scope: solar across all six main rooftops, LFP battery storage in two dedicated external plant rooms, and 36 EV charging points across resident + staff + visitor parking with smart load management.

This case study is an illustrative composite based on representative engagement with premium UK CCRC operators. Specific identifying details are anonymised.

What we delivered — Phase 1 (April 2026)

• Solar PV: 720 kWp across six main rooftops (clubhouse, restaurant, wellness suite, nursing care building, central facilities, large flat-roof maintenance block) + 100 kWp ground-mount on the south paddock
• Battery storage: 320 kWh LFP in two dedicated external plant rooms with gas-suppression fire protection
• EV charging: 36 × 22 kW chargers across resident parking (16), staff parking (12), visitor parking (8)
• G99 application: 480 kW export-limited connection, 24 weeks approval (negotiated to meet phase 1 programme; capacity-constrained DNO region)
• Workplace Charging Scheme grant: £12,600 received (36 sockets × £350)
• Live generation displays: Reception (main village + nursing wing), restaurant, wellness suite
• Group monitoring integration: Live data feed to group’s central sustainability dashboard

Results — year 1

Metric	Year 1
Generation	680,000 kWh
Self-consumption (with battery)	71% (483,000 kWh)
Energy saving (import offset at 27p)	£130,400
SEG export income (197,000 kWh at 8p)	£15,750
Total energy cost saving	£146,150
EV charging revenue (visitor + resident)	£28,000
WCS grant (one-off)	£12,600
Combined year-1 financial benefit	£186,750
CO₂ avoided	158 tCO₂e
IRR (capital purchase + AIA)	16%
Simple payback (gross capex)	6 years

Programme structure — Phases 2-5 planned

• Phase 2 (2027): Air-source heat pump replacing gas central heating across all 6 main buildings. £1.1m capex. Combined Phase 1+2 IRR projected at 17%.
• Phase 3 (2028): Fabric upgrades — insulation, glazing, smart heating controls across 280 units + communal facilities. £680k.
• Phase 4 (2029): EV charging expansion to 80 sockets total; battery storage expansion to 500 kWh. £270k less WCS grants.
• Phase 5 (2030): Full ground-mount expansion on the unused west paddock — 350 kWp ground-mount taking total installed capacity to 1.07 MW. £280k.

Total Phase 1-5 programme value: £2.7m over 4 years. Expected end-state position: ~87% renewable energy supply on operational footprint, Scope 2 reduction to near-zero, Scope 1 reduction by ~75%, EV-ready estate with full visitor + staff + resident charging.

TCFD-aligned investor disclosure

The installation contributes to the group’s TCFD-aligned climate disclosures:

• Scope 1 baseline (gas heating dominates): 1,720 tCO₂e/year pre-Phase 2
• Scope 2 baseline (purchased electricity): 138 tCO₂e/year
• Year-1 post-Phase 1 Scope 2: 37 tCO₂e/year (-73% on installed site)
• Group-level reduction following rollout to 2 further villages: ~390 tCO₂e/year (~18% group Scope 2)
• TCFD scenario analysis: Positive resilience demonstrated to 1.5°C and 2°C transition pathways. Carbon-pricing sensitivity reduced by ~£210k/year exposure across the group post-rollout.

The group’s pension fund LPs flagged the programme as a material ESG positive at the half-year reporting cycle. GRESB benchmark scoring improved from A- to A.

Sales and marketing outcome

CCRC sales depend on visible values as much as floor plan. The 2026 sales report (covering the year of Phase 1 installation):

• 17% uplift in unit sales velocity versus prior year
• 34% increase in unprompted “sustainability commitment” mentions in prospect-meeting notes
• One new pension fund LP joined the cap stack at the year-end fundraise, citing the operational decarbonisation programme as a material positive
• 4 of 12 prospect-survey responses in Q4 2026 cited “environmental commitment” as a primary reason for selection (vs 1 of 12 in Q4 2025)

DNO complexity at scale

The 720 kWp + 320 kWh battery + 36 EV chargers connection required negotiated G99 approval with the local DNO’s capacity team. Initial DNO response: 18 months timeline due to local capacity constraints. We engaged at desk-feasibility stage and proposed:

1. Export-limited connection at 480 kW (vs system capacity of 720 kWp generation + 320 kWh battery + 36 EV chargers peaking at ~800 kW combined draw)
2. Smart load management software gating peak grid demand to within the export-limited capacity
3. Battery storage absorbing midday peak generation, releasing during evening peak demand

Outcome: 24-week DNO approval (negotiated down from 18 months). Phase 2 (heat pump) DNO discussion already initiated for the 2027 connection upgrade.

Family + resident reception

The visible installation has been positively received across resident and visitor groups:

• Residents: Live generation displays in 4 communal locations. Resident-led “Green Committee” formed; meets quarterly.
• Visitors: EV charging adoption rapid — 60% utilisation of visitor sockets in month 6 (vs 12% modelled). Family-driven demand higher than projected.
• Prospects: Pre-purchase visitors increasingly enquire about sustainability commitments during tour. Sales team trained to discuss Phases 2-5 roadmap.

Operator quote

“Phase 1 was the proof case for Phases 2 through 5. The economics needed to work, the install couldn’t disrupt residents, and the investor narrative had to hold up. All three landed. The 17% sales velocity uplift was a positive surprise. Pension fund LP joining the cap stack the same year — that’s a direct link to the visible sustainability investment. Phases 2-5 are now in detailed planning. By 2030 we expect this village to be one of the lowest-emission CCRC operations in the UK.”

— Group Director of Sustainability