Solar PV Sharing Retrofit on Retirement Homes with ECO4 Funding
Client: The Belmont, Bexhill-on-Sea
Location: Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
Sector: Residential / Social Housing
Services: Solar PV Design & Installation, ECO4 Funding Support, Grid Connection Coordination, EPC Assessment
Project Summary
Flint Energy delivered a pioneering solar sharing retrofit at a 36-flat retirement block in Bexhill-on-Sea - the first project of its kind in England to receive 100% ECO4 grant funding.
By combining Allume SolShare technology with battery storage and a full insulation retrofit, Flint Energy created an integrated renewable energy solution that is now saving residents up to 50% on their electricity and service charge bills, while significantly improving the building's EPC ratings and reducing carbon emissions.
This project demonstrates that innovative solar solutions are not just for new builds. With the right technology and funding strategy, older apartment buildings can be transformed into energy-efficient, low-carbon homes.
The Challenge
Retirement blocks like The Belmont face a unique set of energy challenges. Built in 1986 with no cavity wall insulation, the building was losing heat unnecessarily and residents — most of them retired and on fixed incomes — were paying high energy bills with limited ability to change that.
Estate Manager Len Dyer had been researching solutions since 2021, but standard solar installations presented an immediate obstacle:
Solar generation typically only serves a single meter
Self-consumption in standard systems averages around 40%
Distributing solar power across multiple individual flats requires complex and invasive works
Initial assessments suggested the building would not qualify for ECO4 grant funding
The goal was to find a solution that would reduce residents' bills, improve the building's EPC ratings and deliver long-term energy resilience — without significant disruption to the people living there.
Sources: Energise Sussex Coast | ELM Group
Flint Energy’s Solution
Flint Energy was appointed as the accredited SolShare installer, coordinating the full installation programme alongside community energy cooperative Energise Sussex Coast and energy supplier E.ON.
A detailed survey of the building revealed a complete absence of cavity wall insulation - a discovery that proved critical. It qualified the project for 100% ECO4 funding, covering the entire cost of the installation.
Working with partner Allume Energy, Flint designed and installed a bespoke technology stack including:
50kWp Solar PV System 120 solar panels installed across the roof, generating 50kWp of power and serving 27 of the 36 flats plus communal supply.
Allume SolShare Rather than requiring 27 individual inverters or invasive works inside individual flats, Flint deployed Allume's SolShare technology — units installed in the building's central electrical cupboard that distribute solar power fairly across all connected flats in real time, directing generation to where demand exists at any given moment.
Battery Storage A 5kWh and a 4kWh battery store unused solar generation during the day for use by residents in the evening, reducing reliance on the grid outside of daylight hours.
Cavity Wall and Roof Insulation Insulation was installed throughout the building, significantly improving thermal performance and qualifying the project for ECO4 funding.
Grid Export via UK Power Networks Flint liaised with UK Power Networks to secure permission for the building to export surplus electricity back to the national grid, enabling residents to earn through the Smart Export Guarantee.
Results & Performance
This integrated system delivers something rarely achieved in retrofit residential projects: a building that generates, stores and uses its own renewable energy while earning money back when it exports to the grid.
Key Outcomes
Up to 50% reduction in electricity and service charge bills for residents
Individual flat savings estimated at £340 to £420 per year
More than £200 earned annually per flat through the Smart Export Guarantee
15 E-rated flats improved to EPC C or better
7 D-rated flats improved, with an average 11 SAP point increase per flat
At least 11 tonnes of CO2 saved annually
First ECO4-funded solar sharing scheme of its kind in England
Sources: Sussex Express | Hastings Online Times
Client Testimonial
“When I found out we were going to have solar I was absolutely delighted. It does make a lot of difference — it’s brought the price down and when we’ve got the sun shining we get money back.”
“The Belmont is a prime example of empowering communities through sustainable energy solutions. They actively collaborated in identifying inefficiencies, securing funding, and deploying innovative technology to enhance residents’ lives and set a new standard for social housing energy transformations.”
Why This Project Matters
The Belmont demonstrates what is possible when energy strategy starts with the building and the people in it. By identifying a funding route others had missed, choosing technology designed for multi-occupancy buildings and coordinating a programme that caused minimal disruption to elderly residents, Flint Energy delivered a genuinely transformational outcome.
Rather than treating solar and insulation as separate interventions, Flint delivered a fully joined-up energy strategy — one that maximises on-site renewable usage, eliminates unnecessary heat loss and delivers tangible, lasting benefits for residents who needed it most.
This project is a blueprint for what retrofit solar can achieve in older apartment buildings across the UK.
Technical Details
SolShare directs solar energy to flats in real time to cover their instantaneous demand from appliances, devices, lighting and more. This maximises each flat's self-consumption and minimises grid usage. Standard solar self-consumption in apartment buildings averages around 40%. With SolShare, this increases to 50-70%.
The two battery units store any solar generation that is not immediately consumed, making it available to residents in the evening when solar generation has stopped - further reducing grid dependency and energy costs.
Surplus generation is exported to the national grid via UK Power Networks, with residents earning through the Smart Export Guarantee on power they generate but do not use.
Managing a block of flats or social housing? Talk to us about solar sharing and ECO4 funding.