Hackney Council is delivering a nationally significant residential solar pilot, installing 1 megawatts of solar photovoltaic technology (PV) across council housing blocks using an innovative local microgrid model.
Synopsis
The scheme enables residents to buy low-cost, locally generated clean electricity directly, addressing longstanding barriers to deploying solar in flats.
The project is council-owned and operated under the Hackney Light and Power brand, ensuring public benefit and reinvestment of returns. Delivered in partnership with Emergent Energy, the project offers a replicable solution for scaling solar on social housing, supporting net-zero targets, reducing fuel poverty, and demonstrating public sector leadership in energy innovation.
The challenge
London has the lowest rate of domestic solar PV in the UK, and traditional installation methods on blocks of flats typically fail to benefit residents. Communal systems serve only landlord supplies and leave tenants excluded.
Hackney aimed to overcome this by finding a solution that enables direct supply to residents while also delivering a viable return on investment for the council. The total project value is £1.96 million, fully funded by the council.
The solution
Hackney procured Emergent Energy to deliver the pilot using their Ofgem-approved private wire microgrid model. This allows solar energy to be supplied to individual flats, enabling direct resident savings. The project covers three estates and will connect over 400 homes.
Installation works began in early 2025, with resident onboarding scheduled for mid-late 2025. Hackney owns the assets and recoups investment through electricity sales and grid export, reinvesting any profits into council services. The project is run under the Hackney Light and Power (powered by Hackney) brand to maintain public trust and transparency.
The impact
Residents will receive cheaper, cleaner electricity, which reduces bills and cuts carbon emissions. The project aims to achieve over 800 MWh/year of solar generation, resulting in estimated annual CO₂ savings of approximately 200 tonnes.
The scheme is projected to break even financially, with any surplus used for council reinvestment. The pilot supports fuel-poor households and contributes to Hackney’s Climate Action Plan target of six MW of solar on council housing by 2030.
How is the new approach being sustained?
The project will be managed long-term by Hackney Light and Power (a council in-house team), with Emergent operating the concession for up to 10 years. Regular performance reviews, remote monitoring, and dedicated customer support ensure reliability.
A cash buffer and revenue-sharing mechanism protect long-term viability. The model is designed for replication across additional estates, with further rollouts under active development. There is a plan to improve the scheme with efficiencies such as battery storage in the near future.
Lessons learned
A key barrier was the ‘split incentive’ problem between landlords and tenants.
- Using a microgrid model solves this by directly supplying flats.
- Early procurement engagement, robust resident communication, and whole-life costing were essential.
- A ‘white label’ council-owned model helps build resident trust.