How Sureserve helped a community lift itself from the burden of high energy bills

Pioneering sustainable housing with a Community Solar Share Scheme

Imagine living with smarter heating, greener power and lower energy bills.

That’s exactly what Sureserve Energy helped to make happen for the 644 families living in a Penderi community in Swansea.

Partnering with Pobl Group and Sero, Sureserve played a major part in rewiring the future of the Blaen-y-Maes neighbourhood. But the real star of this story was the sun.

Over 4,500 solar panels were installed. They’ve been generating over 1.1MWh of clean electricity every year since — enough to cover 60% of the community’s energy needs. And thanks to the Community Solar Share Scheme, every home benefits equally.

On top of the PV panels, each home received:

• Smart batteries
• Sero’s Building Energy Engines (BEE) — clever systems that manage home energy use
• Smart meters
• Thermostats and heating controls

Lower bills and a renewable income stream

This project was about more than renewable fuel and cutting costs. Residents are paying less than the Ofgem price cap for their solar energy while Pobl is able repair and maintain the system through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The excess power that Pobl Group is selling back to the grid is expected to create an annual income of £100,000 to go towards stock maintenance and further improvements to Blaen-y-Maes. .

It’s win-win-win: affordable, clean energy for everyone in the community, a steady stream of revenue for Pobl to reinvest in the housing stock and a happier planet due to huge cuts in carbon emissions.

As the lead contractor, Sureserve Energy Services UK 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 Sustainably

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.

With a focus on residents

From the beginning, Sureserve made it a priority to work closely with residents. From arranging surveys and installation appointments, the company made sure that everyone was on board.

Scott Paton from Sureserve summed it up well: “Already we’re seeing the positive impacts for both individual residents and the wider community. Three of our installers are from Penderi itself — that’s local jobs, local pride, and local knowledge driving this forward.”

A sustainable success story

This project isn’t just a local success story — it’s a replicable national model. It supports Pobl’s 2030 net-zero goals and shields residents from unpredictable energy prices. As Solitaire Pritchard, Director of Regeneration at Pobl Group, put it: “Each installation helps decarbonise energy in Penderi and reduce bills today and long into the future — that makes a huge practical difference.”

A brighter future

The Penderi Retrofit Energy Project proves that alleviating fuel poverty doesn’t have to mean resident compromise. It can mean smarter homes, cleaner energy and stronger communities. With Sureserve leading the charge, the people of Blaen-y-Maes now live in warmer, safer, greener and more energy-efficient homes.