Groundbreaking Solar PV & Energy Storage Project

Pioneering sustainable housing with a Community Solar Share Scheme

In a groundbreaking initiative, the Penderi Retrofit Energy Project has successfully enhanced 644 homes in Blaen-y-Maes, Swansea, with renewable energy and battery storage technologies to create a Community Solar Share Scheme. Delivered for Pobl Group by Everwarm, part of Sureserve in partnership with Sero, this project paves the way towards lower energy bills and a net-zero future for the community.

The project involved blending finance from multiple sources.

£3.5M from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Welsh European Funding Office and £1.6M in matched funding from Pobl Group, Sero, Optimised Retrofit 2.1/2.2, and Swansea Bay City Deal.

This resulted in 644 homes being upgraded with:

• Batteries
• Sero’s Building Energy Engine (BEE’s), smart home energy management systems
• Smart meters
• Thermostats/smart heating controls

Generating electricity and cutting bills

The project also involved fitting 437 homes with a combined total of 4,500 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, resulting in a total installed capacity of 1.4MWp. The community generates 1.1MWh of electricity per year and has a battery storage capacity of 3.2MWh.

The energy generated is around 60% of the community’s on-site electricity demand, resulting in around a 30% decrease in residents’ energy bills. The Community Solar Share Scheme evenly distributes the energy generated across all homes in the scheme, and the storage allows the households to take advantage of flexible energy pricing to maximise savings.

The initiative is projected to bring in an annual income of £100,000 for Pobl. Pobl determines the rate residents pay for solar energy, which is set below the price cap established by Ofgem. Additionally, Pobl receives funding through exported solar generation via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The result is a steady monthly revenue stream for Pobl.

As the lead contractor, Everwarm as part of Sureserve was responsible for contacting residents to arrange property surveys and installation appointments. We then went on to install the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and the batteries, meters, controls, and monitoring devices. Work progressed quickly: starting on-site in March 2022, 100 homes were completed by August 2022 330 by January 2023, and the remaining homes by July 2023.

Driving towards Net Zero

This innovative model not only reduces residents' energy bills but also supports Pobl's sustainability goals.

“This is just the start, but the benefits are already being seen. Each installation helps decarbonise energy in Penderi and helps reduce home energy bills today and long into the future – that will make a huge practical difference to the community at a time when energy prices are soaring.” Solitaire Pritchard, Director of Regeneration at Pobl Group.

Impacting in the community

Extensive community engagement ensured high participation, with residents granting access for installations and adopting new technologies.

Scott Paton from Sureserve’s Everwarm said “Already we are seeing the positive impacts for both individual residents, and the wider community. We are proud to be able to say that three members of the team on the ground installing this cutting-edge technology are from the Penderi community. This is helping increase awareness and understanding of the project, as well as the wide range of training and opportunities the growing green energy sector can offer.”

The Penderi Retrofit Energy Project advances Pobl’s 2030 net-zero goal, protecting the community from unstable energy prices. It exemplifies a sustainable, fair, and cost-effective solution to fuel poverty, improving resident well-being and acting as a blueprint for future developments.