Care home solar glossary — UK 2026

Plain-English definitions of every acronym, regulation, certification, and technical term you'll encounter when researching solar panels for care homes. 50 terms covering certifications, regulations, funding, technical specifications, and grid connection.

AIA

Annual Investment Allowance

100% first-year tax relief on qualifying plant up to £1 million per company per year. Solar panels are special-rate plant (Capital Allowances Act 2001 s104A), and the AIA covers special-rate spend in full. Effective 25% discount on capex for tax-paying operators at 25% main corporation tax.

Anti-islanding

Anti-islanding protection

Inverter safety feature that automatically disconnects the solar system during a grid outage. Required by G99. Means standard grid-tied solar does not provide outage backup — battery storage with dedicated backup circuits is needed for that.

BMS

Battery Management System

Electronic system that monitors and controls battery operation. Per-cell voltage, current, and temperature monitoring; balancing; fault detection; safety cut-out. Quality of BMS is the single most important determinant of battery safety.

BS 7671

British Standard 7671 (18th Edition)

The UK electrical wiring regulations. All solar installs must comply. Most recent edition incorporates new battery storage and EV charging provisions.

BS EN 62619

British Standard EN 62619

Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for industrial applications. Mandatory standard for any battery storage on care home premises. Covers cell quality, BMS, abuse testing, end-of-life.

BUS

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Government grant towards replacing a fossil fuel heating system with a heat pump, open in England and Wales for homes and business buildings that meet its rules (gov.uk, read 5 November 2026). £7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump, with a 45 kWth cap on an individual system.

CDM 2015

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

UK construction site safety regulations. Apply to any solar install requiring scaffolding or roof access. The installer typically takes the Principal Contractor role.

CQC

Care Quality Commission

The UK regulator of health and social care. Inspects care homes against the 2023 Single Assessment Framework with five themes (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led). Environmental sustainability now features under Well-led KLOE evidence.

CRREM

Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor

Sector-specific decarbonisation trajectory tool for real estate. Maps building emissions intensity against the 1.5°C and 2°C pathways. Used by REITs and institutional real-estate investors.

DESNZ

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

UK government department (formerly part of BEIS) responsible for energy policy. Sets MEES regulations, publishes annual GHG conversion factors, administers SECR.

DNO

Distribution Network Operator

Regional electricity network operator. The DNO authorises grid connections for solar installations. Six DNOs cover GB: UK Power Networks, Northern Powergrid, Electricity North West, SP Energy Networks, SSEN, and National Grid Electricity Distribution.

EPC

Energy Performance Certificate

UK building energy rating from A (best) to G (worst). Required for sales, lets, and many funding routes. Solar PV can lift EPC by 1–3 bands. Methodology updated 15 June 2025 to weight solar more positively.

FYA

First Year Allowance (50%)

50% first-year tax relief on special-rate pool expenditure above the £1m AIA cap. Half the spend gets immediate relief; remaining 50% enters special-rate pool at 6% WDA. Companies only, not sole traders or partnerships; made permanent in November 2023.

G98

Engineering Recommendation G98

Standard for smaller distributed generation connections — up to 16 A per phase (about 3.68 kW single-phase, 11 kW three-phase). Larger care home installs need a G99 application instead.

G99

Engineering Recommendation G99

Standard for connecting distributed generation (including solar PV) to the UK distribution network where capacity exceeds G98 threshold. Typical care home installs of 30–100 kWp require G99 application. Approval 4–12 weeks; >200 kWp can be 6–18 months.

GPDO 2015 Part 14

General Permitted Development Order 2015, Part 14

UK planning regulation allowing rooftop solar installation as permitted development (no planning application needed) up to 1 MW capacity. Exceptions: listed buildings, conservation areas with Article 4 Directions.

GRESB

Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark

Real estate and infrastructure ESG benchmark used by institutional investors. Most major UK care home groups participate. Scored on Management (20%) and Performance (80%).

HSE CAR 2012

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

UK regulations requiring asbestos survey before any works on pre-1980 buildings. Mandatory for solar installs on older care home stock. Three handling options: install over (non-friable), encapsulate, or strip and replace.

IEC 63056

International Electrotechnical Commission Standard 63056

Electrochemical energy storage system safety requirements. Applies to all lithium-ion batteries in residential and small commercial settings — including care homes.

IFRS 16

IFRS 16 (lease accounting)

Accounting standard requiring operating leases above £5,000 / 12 months to be capitalised on lessee's balance sheet as right-of-use asset. Affects solar operating-lease accounting treatment for groups reporting under IFRS.

IFRS S1 / S2

International Financial Reporting Standards Sustainability 1 and 2

ISSB-issued sustainability disclosure standards (2023). UK adoption phased 2026–2028 via UK SRS. Broader than TCFD; includes value-chain metrics.

IRR

Internal Rate of Return

Financial measure of investment return. UK care home solar typical IRR 17–24% on capital purchase with AIA tax shield.

KLOE

Key Line of Enquiry

Previously the structure for CQC inspection assessment. Replaced in 2023 by quality statements under the Single Assessment Framework. The term is still commonly used as shorthand for the assessment areas.

kWh

Kilowatt-hour

Unit of energy. 1 kWh = 1 kW running for 1 hour. A 50 kWp solar system in the UK generates ~47,500 kWh/year on average.

kWp

Kilowatt peak

Standard unit for solar PV system capacity — the maximum power output under standard test conditions. A 50 kWp system is rated at 50 kilowatts of peak generation; typical UK annual yield is 950 kWh per kWp.

LBC

Listed Building Consent

Planning consent required for works on listed buildings (Grade I, II*, or II in England; equivalent in devolved nations). Affects ~8% of UK care home stock. Adds 12–16 weeks to programme.

LFP

Lithium Iron Phosphate

Battery chemistry used in commercial energy storage. Lower energy density than NMC, but materially lower thermal-runaway risk. The chemistry to specify for care home settings.

MCS

Microgeneration Certification Scheme

The UK certification body that quality-assures solar PV installations. MCS-certified installs qualify for Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and most grant routes. Look for MIS 3002 for commercial certification.

MEES

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

England and Wales regulations (the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015) setting minimum EPC ratings for let property; Scotland and Northern Ireland have no MEES. Currently EPC E for all non-domestic lets since April 2023. What changed in June 2026: the previously proposed EPC C 2027 interim was dropped and the EPC B target moved to a proposed 2031, narrowed to let buildings over 1,000 m² — still subject to legislation, not yet law. Care homes with rented elements over that threshold fall within scope.

NICEIC

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting

UK electrical contracting standards body. Solar installs must be electrically signed off by NICEIC-approved contractors. Required for compliance with BS 7671.

NMC

Nickel Manganese Cobalt

Battery chemistry. Higher energy density than LFP but higher thermal-runaway risk. Not appropriate for vulnerable-occupant settings like care homes.

OZEV

Office for Zero Emission Vehicles

UK government body. Administers the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) grant — £500 per socket since 1 April 2026 (previously £350), up to 40 sockets, scheme end date 31 March 2027. Relevant for care home EV charging installations.

PEEP

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

Individual evacuation plan for residents with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments. Battery storage backup circuits must integrate with the home's PEEP framework — covering call systems, lifts, emergency lighting, medication fridges.

PPA

Power Purchase Agreement

Funding structure where a third party owns the solar system and sells you the electricity at a fixed sub-grid tariff (typically 8–14p/kWh vs 27p grid). Zero capex; day-one cashflow positive. 15–25 year typical term with year-7+ buyout option.

PSDS

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Salix-administered grant fund for public sector decarbonisation (heat pumps, fabric and some renewables). Closed: there has been no open application window since Phase 4 closed in November 2024, so it is not a route for care homes planning a project now.

PVSyst

PVSyst (industry-standard solar modelling)

Software for modelling annual solar PV generation. Used in feasibility, system sizing and grant applications. Provides location-specific irradiance, shading, and yield estimates.

RECC

Renewable Energy Consumer Code

Code of conduct administered by the Renewable Energy Consumer Code body. Provides consumer protection where solar installs touch consumer-facing elements. Standard for any reputable UK installer.

RIDDOR

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

UK statutory reporting requirement for workplace injuries and incidents. Applies to install activities including work-at-height.

RR(FS)O 2005

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

UK fire safety legislation. Solar installs (especially battery storage) trigger Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) review.

Salix

Salix Finance

Government-owned company that administers public-sector and social-housing decarbonisation funding on behalf of DESNZ. Administered PSDS (closed since November 2024), SHDF and other schemes.

SBTi

Science Based Targets initiative

Framework for companies to set emissions-reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement. Most major UK care home groups have committed to or set SBTi targets.

SECR

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting

UK mandatory annual disclosure for large companies (250+ staff, £36m+ turnover, or £18m+ balance sheet — two of three). Care home groups must report Scope 1 + Scope 2 emissions, intensity ratio, and energy efficiency narrative in the Directors' Report.

SEG

Smart Export Guarantee

Ofgem scheme requiring licensed electricity suppliers to pay for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid. Tariffs typically 4–12p/kWh as at July 2026, supplier-dependent and moving on ~30 days notice. Care homes typically self-consume 40–60% of generation; remainder qualifies for SEG.

Self-consumption

Self-consumption rate

Percentage of solar generation used directly on-site (rather than exported). UK care homes typically achieve 40–60% annual self-consumption, rising to 70–85% with battery storage. Higher self-consumption = better economics (offsets full 27p import tariff, not 7p export).

SHDF

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Government fund for social landlords: local authorities, combined authorities, registered providers of social housing and registered charities that own social housing. Wave 3 allocated £1.29bn at the Autumn 2024 Budget and its application window closed on 25 November 2024.

Single Assessment Framework

CQC Single Assessment Framework (2023)

CQC inspection framework introduced 2023. Replaces the previous KLOE structure with quality statements scored Outstanding/Good/Requires Improvement/Inadequate across five themes including Well-led, which incorporates environmental sustainability.

String inverter

DC-to-AC inverter for solar PV. Converts DC electricity from a string (series) of panels into AC for use in the building. Common manufacturers: Sungrow, SolarEdge, GoodWe, Solis, Fronius.

TCFD

Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

Climate-disclosure framework progressively mandatory for UK listed and large private companies since 2021. Covers governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics. Most major care home groups now in scope.

TrustMark

UK government-backed quality scheme for home improvement contractors. Provides additional consumer protection. Required alongside MCS for many grant routes.

WDA

Writing-Down Allowance

Annual tax deduction on capital expenditure not fully relieved in year one. Special-rate pool plant (including post-£1m solar) writes down at 6% per year.

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