Innovative solar scheme installed on Hackney flats

A pioneering rooftop solar panel scheme has been installed on a block of flats in Hackney, allowing the residents to enjoy the savings it generates themselves – something that has historically not been possible in such buildings. 

Until recently,  the benefits of solar PV have been unavailable to people who live in flats, as the solar would be connected behind the landlord’s meter, meaning the energy generated would be used in the common areas rather than in the residents’ flats. The surplus would spill onto the grid.

The Hackney scheme offers residents in the flats the opportunity to buy discounted energy supplied directly by the solar panels on their buildings. It will aim to deliver electricity bill savings of around 15% compared with market rates.

The scheme uses an innovative microgrid solution to supply rooftop-generated solar electricity directly to residents of flats, developed by Hackney-based energy specialist Emergent Energy in partnership with Hackney Council’s energy services arm, Hackney Light and Power. 

Microgrids provide a way for solar electricity generated on blocks of flats to be supplied to residents by storing the energy until it is needed. .

In Hackney around 4,000 solar panels will be installed on 28 blocks across three Hackney Council estates from January 2025, generating around one megawatt of electricity, around 20% of the energy needs of the blocks’ energy requirements.

Around 800 households will initially be given the opportunity to sign up for discounted energy.

The initial roll out of solar panels is part of a pilot being delivered in partnership between Hackney Light and Power and Emergent Energy and developed with support from the Greater London Authority and Ofgem. It is being funded by £2 million of investment from Hackney Council, to be paid back through electricity sales. Emergent Energy will deliver installation of the solar panels and supply the generated solar electricity to residents.

Extrapolating the technology across the 5.4 million flats in the UK, (2 million of which are social housing), the approach could deliver 6.75GW of solar energy, worth up to £13.5bn in clean energy investment.

Reg Platt, Founder CEO of Emergent Energy said: ‘No one should miss out on the benefits of locally generated clean energy because of their income level or the type of home they live in. That’s why we created this new opportunity for residents of social housing flats to receive savings on their energy bills from rooftop solar.

‘Our approach is self-funding, as this ground-breaking project in Hackney will show, meaning we can deliver these benefits to potentially millions of residents without relying on government handouts. It’s time the rules that govern the electricity industry were updated, so that local energy approaches like ours can flourish.’