Solopower: solar + storage solution for UK social housing

Helping the social housing sector address the dual challenge of carbon emissions and fuel poverty through a fully-financed, intelligently operated renewable energy solution.

Making home renewable energy more accessible, and more affordable

Solopower is the turnkey service that designs, installs, operates solar PV generation and battery storage projects at scale for new and existing social housing stocks. Amid a retail energy market defined by ever-rising energy prices, Solopower is delivered to partnering landlords and their tenants at zero upfront cost, helping provide significant financial support and affordable access to a cleaner and more sustainable supply of self-generating renewable energy.

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Reduce tenants’ energy costs by c.28% (up to £275p.a.) compared to standard tariffs, helping tackle the rising issue of fuel poverty.

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Decarbonise housing electricity supply by up to 70% per home.

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By choosing appropriate tariffs alongside Solopower, the cost of combined solar and grid supply can be as low as 19p/kWh.

Improve your EPC ratings

Solopower supports whole-home energy efficiency and significantly improves EPC ratings of your housing stock by up to two levels of classification.

EPC Rating

Our end-to-end solar + storage solution

End-to-end solar + storage solution
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Design

SMS works with you to design your smart solar + storage solution.

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Finance

Solopower is offered as a fully financed service . If you wish to finance the project, we can work with you to accommodate a range of self-financed options.

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Supply & Install

We supply and install all Solopower assets across the scheme, with no upfront cost.

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Optimisation, metering and billing

SMS operates the battery to maximise self-consumption of solar, and optimises grid import and export to maximise bill savings and carbon reduction. A full metering and billing support service is provided to simplify the process for the Landlord.

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Recycle & Repower

When needed, we replace and recycle battery assets at no additional cost. At the end of the project life (25-30 years) we’ll decommission and recycle batteries and solar panels, and work with you to repower your project for the next stage of your net zero transition.

Empower and support your tenants, whilst reaping the landlord rewards

  • All installed assets managed and optimised remotely via our cloud-based FlexiGrid platform, removing the dilemma of consumer behaviour change
  • By choosing appropriate tariffs, combined solar and grid supply can be as low as 12.8p/kWh
  • We work with you to plan, integrate and deliver your Smart Solar + Storage scheme as part of your net zero ambitions
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How the Solopower model works

Solopower infographic
Solopower brochure

Download the Solopower brochure

Find more detailed information about how Solopower will help achieve carbon reduction targets across your housing stock.

View Solopower brochure

Have more questions about Solopower?

Solopower can be part of a retrofit project to existing homes or installed to new housing stock.

By operating the solar PV and battery assets remotely through our FlexiGridTM software, we can capture and store the free generation of solar energy for use by the resident, or import power from the grid at the cheapest times through a Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff. By doing so, we are actively optimising tenants’ energy costs and reducing their bills by up to £200 p/a, and therefore helping alleviate rates of fuel poverty.

Tenants save money in two ways. Firstly, the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between you and the tenant is offered at a discounted rate to standard electricity tariffs.

Solopower can decarbonise each home’s electricity supply by up to 70% through generating, storing and consuming the clean renewable energy from the solar panels installed on the property. This significantly reduces the need to use electricity supplied by the grid which has been generated primarily using fossil fuels. When appropriate, our pioneering FlexiGrid platform can optimise grid supply by purchasing and storing electricity within the battery during times of lower carbon intensity.

EPC improvements could be as high as two levels of classification, although this depends on the current SAP score of each property. A typical installation of PV & battery would see an increase of c.20 points on the SAP score using the new SAP10.1.

Solopower is intended as a housing solution. However, we do have other options that can work in flats/apartments and we would be happy to discuss this with you. It is important to know that whatever property you choose, it will need roof space to fit between 3-4kw of solar PV to be installed, without entering a neighbouring property.

As part of the Solopower solution, SMS will manage all operational responsibilities. For example, we monitor and optimise battery operation to maximise self-consumption of solar energy, reducing import of energy from the grid. We anticipate minimal disruption throughout the project lifespan, but in the unlikely event of unexpected component failure, we will promptly repair or replace where necessary.

Of course, we recognise this challenge, and we will help you with an appropriate billing solution. However, if a tenant’s energy bills are lower, they’re more likely to be able to pay their rent. Remember, with the improved standard of living you are offering your tenants by investing in Solopower, you are actively reducing their electricity costs which means there is true value in being your tenant.

Get in touch with our team via email at solopower@sms-plc.com

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Man sitting a desk looking at data FLEXIGRID

The brains behind Solopower

By intelligently operating distributed energy resources as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), FlexiGrid delivers the real-time flexibility essential for a decarbonised system.

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Residential housing estate with soloar panels INSIGHTS

How to create low-carbon social housing that can tackle our hidden fuel poverty problem?

By partnering with social housing landlords to deliver a fully-financed and intelligently operated solar PV and battery storage solution, Solopower aims to support decarbonisation efforts in a way that makes clean energy accessible and affordable for tenants.

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solo power COMPANY NEWS

SMS partners with Aberdeen City Council on 100-home decarbonisation retrofit scheme

The £5.2m project, which is backed by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator, will see SMS and delivery partners roll out fabric retrofits and green energy technologies across 100 homes.

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