Allume Energy

MKM Developments planned a 20-flat residential building with net-zero energy standards, requiring solar power and energy storage for each flat. However, space limitations made installing individual inverters for each flat impractical.

In partnership with E.ON Energy, we implemented the SolShare System at Belmont under the ECO4 scheme. This innovative technology enables the distribution of energy from a single rooftop solar system to multiple flats within the building. Out of the 36 flats, 25 qualified for a 100% ECO4 grant, and 2 ineligible flats chose to privately invest in the system. The SolShare System was extended to cover communal lighting and other utilities, ensuring that all residents could benefit from the upgrade.

TopHat was faced with a significant challenge in one of their residential developments: achieving an EPC rating of B for every flat within the building. The EPC rating is crucial for demonstrating energy efficiency and sustainability, which are core values for TopHat. Despite employing various energy-saving measures and optimisation strategies, they struggled to reach EPC B ratings for all flats due to limitations in specifying precise energy contributions and the associated costs of additional improvements.

Allume received an urgent call from a client facing a critical issue. With only three weeks left until project completion, a review revealed that 10 of the flats were just 1 SAP point short of achieving the targeted EPC A rating. The initial solution considered was installing individual PV systems for each flat, but this proved impractical due to insufficient roof space to accommodate 10 panels. Additionally, there was no suitable space inside the flats to install the necessary PV hardware.

The primary challenge for Vale of Glamorgan Council was to integrate a battery storage solution into the solar energy system for these residential blocks while ensuring compliance with the newly introduced PAS 63100:2024 regulations. These regulations are designed to minimise the risk of batteries in dwellings becoming a fire hazard and to mitigate the impact should a battery fire occur. The council needed a solution that not only distributed solar energy effectively to the individual flats but also incorporated a safe and efficient battery storage system. This was especially challenging given the need for a community-based battery storage setup that could serve multiple flats from a single solar energy system.

The client sought to equip a block of 24 flats with rooftop solar PV systems and battery storage to provide residents with renewable energy and reduce their electricity costs. The initial proposal was to install individual solar systems and batteries for each flat, which required 24 inverters and 24 batteries. Due to space limitations, the only feasible location for the equipment was the attic, a solution deemed inappropriate by the client due to potential safety and accessibility concerns. As a result, the project faced significant challenges and was at risk of being abandoned.