Hackney Council is one of London’s most forward-thinking local authorities on climate action. It is pioneering new ways to decarbonise its housing stock, especially in traditionally underserved communities.
When the Council partnered with Emergent Energy, their goal was to provide solar power for blocks of flats using a new microgrid model that required no public subsidy and delivered direct bill savings to residents.
Carbon3 was proud to be selected to deliver the solar PV installations across the project, which has since earned national recognition through the Ashden Award for Breaking Barriers.
Award-winning model for urban solar
Hackney’s housing portfolio includes many mid-rise and high-rise residential blocks where traditional solar installations often fail to reach individual residents. Typically, on housing blocks like these, the solar energy is exported back to the grid and provides very little value to the residents living in the block.
In this project, Emergent’s microgrid model which connects rooftop panels to private electrical infrastructure allowed each flat to benefit from solar energy generated above their homes.
Carbon3 designed and installed systems across 28 blocks covering approximately 800 homes, ensuring seamless integration into the building fabric and minimising disruption to residents.
This performance delivers a potential cost saving of 10–15% off energy bills for participating tenants.
A resident-centred approach to delivery
Throughout installation, Carbon3 worked closely with Hackney’s housing team to maintain communication with residents. Our DBS-checked engineers and dedicated engagement officers ran site briefings and drop-in Q&A sessions to build trust and ensure residents were informed and comfortable with the works.
The systems we installed are designed for long-term performance. We included remote monitoring and easy access for maintenance, supporting Emergent’s post-handover management model and ensuring consistent output over time.
What comes next
Hackney’s project was one of the first to prove that subsidy-free, privately financed solar can work at scale in social housing. The Ashden Award recognised it as a blueprint for other local authorities and housing associations across the UK.
Carbon3 is now supporting the expansion of this model, providing installation and consultancy services to scale solar microgrids to more boroughs.
With a total estimated lifetime CO₂ reduction in the thousands of tonnes, and the potential to reach millions of flats UK-wide, this work is an example of how innovation, finance, and hands-on delivery come together to create lasting impact.
Looking to bring this model to your residents?
We’d love to support you in replicating Hackney’s success.
Email us at info@carbon3.co.uk or call us today.
