Why add shared solar to social housing?

With energy bills in the UK at their worst in decades, many households are struggling to make ends meet.

As a result, many social housing providers are becoming increasingly concerned with finding sustainable solutions for tenants across their portfolios.

Adding rooftop solar to multi-tenanted buildings is a simple, quick, and cost effective method for social housing providers to reduce tenants’ cost of living and boost EPC scores.

Contact us to see the impact SolShare™️ can have on your portfolio.

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Solar panels on the roof of Oak Court in Wales

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Benefits

SHDF, ECO4,
SHNZHF, ORP, LLDC

SolShare can be fully funded. Scroll down for more info.

Ofgem certified ECO4 Innovation Measure

SolShare is a certified innovation measure – gaining a 45% uplift in ECO funding.

Energy data & fuel poverty alerts

Always be in the know with apartment energy data and alerts if a risk of fuel poverty is identified.

Monitoring & Asset Management portal

SolCentre – all energy data.

Alleviate fuel poverty

Boost EPC scores and achieve carbon reduction net-zero.

Tailorable SAP score uplift for each flat

We can help social landlords EPC discrepancy across their flats.

The 6 Stages of a SolShare Retrofit Project

Completing a SolShare retrofit project is easy! This guide walks you through each step of the retrofit process, making it clear who’s responsible for what along the way.

Gather Appropriate Properties

Confirm EPC Requirements

Select Installer

System Design

System Installation & Handover

Monitoring

Provide Allume with list of properties that could be suitable for solar.
Follow this document to help decide which properties are suitable.

Allume will assess the list and recommend of most suitable properties.

Confirm building current EPCs and target EPC requirements.

Pick installer, contractor or delivery partner.

Allume can provide a list of installers if needed.

Ensure contractor completes site visit and submits G99.

G99s can take up to 12 wks to come back so it is essential this is submitted ASAP.

Receive handover and welcome pack from installer.

An example of the welcome pack can be found here.

Receives regular automated report on system performance and resident bill savings.

Provide Quote.
Follow this document for quoting guidance.

Complete Site Visit.
Confirm electrical infrastructure and flats phase.

Design System.
Use this tool to design system based on kWp requirements.

Lodge G99 Application.
Follow this document for G99 submission guidance.

Install System.
Ensure any installer has completed Allume’s training.

Handover System.
Handover pack can be found here.

Provide Housing Association with SolCentre access (if subscribed).

Listen to what our customers are saying

Watch the impact SolShare has on people’s lives with this 100% funded ECO4 installation with E.ON.


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Funding Opportunities

It’s great that there’s billions of pounds worth of funding available for retrofitting social housing across the UK. However, we know that navigating this can be daunting and a lot of work. Allow Allume to take the heavy lifting away.

We work with a network of certified, procurement-ready contractors to develop the most optimal funding and implementation strategy for you. Not just for solar, but whole house retrofit.

If you have a project in mind, send us your blocks of flats and we’ll support you on your funding journey.

Learn how much funding you can gain.

Learn More

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SolCentre

With every SolShare installation, you have access to the powerful energy and monitoring platform SolCentre:

  • Monitor the energy data of every connected flat.
  • Be alerted if low energy usage could indicate a household’s in fuel poverty.
  • Fault and underperformance alerts mean your systems are always performing to their best.
Allume how it works

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How it works

 

SolShare is a hardware and software solution that physically splits the energy from a single rooftop solar system and divides it between multiple dwellings.

Learn more

Allume can provide a free assessment on your portfolio, that will include indicative billsavings, SAP/EPC uplift, and how much funding is available.

Get started

FAQs

Yes. The SolShare is classed as a direct connection of solar PV to flats. It therefore qualifies for SAP 10.2 PV credits – typically adding 5-15 SAP points to each flat.

Yes. The SolShare typically adds 5-15 SAP points to a flat. As each EPC band is around 10 points, each flat is highly likely to increase it’s EPC band by at least one rating.

Yes, any separately metered connection can be added to a SolShare system, including the Landlord supply.

The SolShare comes with an industry standard 10-year warranty.

Yes, batteries can be included in the system. Even better, because the SolShare is a shared system, your batteries will also be shared. This means that rather than needing to buy an expensive battery for every connected unit, you simply by a communal battery that everyone uses when they need it. This greatly increases their value for money.

Every SolShare installation is unique. Once we have gained the relevant information from you, we will introduce you to one of our certified SolShare installation partners. They will be able to talk you through what is most suitable for your building.

Typically, SolShare is suitable for apartment buildings that have more than 6 apartments. Send us an enquiry and we will be happy to see if our technology is suitable for your apartment building.

Every connected unit will receive feed-in tariff payment for any solar they don’t use.
The SolShare ensures that the same quantity of solar is delivered to each connected unit over the course of each month. It works hard to deliver each unit’s solar when they are using power and therefore when they’re going to save the most amount of money. However, if this is not possible and more solar is being delivered than can be consumed then it will be exported to the grid and your retailer will buy it off you.

No. Residents can stay with their existing retailer, or to choose to change to another one. They can also access any market protections provided for vulnerable electricity customers, if applicable.

The SolShare qualifies for numerous funding schemes, including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 and ECO4 funding. Contact us for guidance.

There are a number of factors in determining this, the main one being how much energy you use. But on average, a 40% reduction in grid energy usage can be achieved. This is increased further if batteries are included. See our cases studies for more information on price and payback.

The monitoring portal provides energy data for the entire building and is available to the system owner. This is often a stipulation for funding initiatives like the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.