Solar PV for social housing.
To meet the strict 2030 net zero targets for social housing, renewable energy is the simplest way to improve SAP scores. Higher SAP scores help raise EPC ratings, making it easier to get all your homes to EPC C.
Solar energy cuts carbon emissions across your housing stock. Residents save on energy bills, enjoy reliable heating, and can even export unused electricity through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).
Think residents in sheltered housing or flats can’t benefit? With advanced systems from our partners, we can wire each flat to its own PV panels. This means each home directly benefits, instead of the energy going to communal areas or back to the grid, which gives lower financial returns.
ASHP for social housing.
Replacing old, inefficient gas or oil boilers with modern ASHP systems dramatically cuts heating costs and carbon emissions, while providing stable heat for tenants. Paired with insulation, ASHPs create a low-carbon, efficient heating solution ideally suited to social housing.
Now that Awaab’s Law mandates social housing providers must fix damp and mould issues within days of being notified, heat pumps are a smart choice for social homes. As they keep homes at a consistent temperature and remove moisture from the air when on cooling mode, they keep homes from developing damp and mould. This means you’ll get less complaints and residents will enjoy healthier homes.
EV Charging Infrastructure.
Although there is currently no requirement for social housing providers to install EV chargers in existing dwellings, resident adoption of electric vehicles is rising quickly. Demand for reliable, on-site charging is increasing as a result. For new social homes, every associated parking space must now include an EV charger, making EV infrastructure an essential part of long-term asset planning.
Many social landlords are also transitioning to fully electric fleets. Installing chargers across your estates ensures your teams can conveniently recharge while carrying out routine visits and essential works.
Carbon3 can support you in identifying and applying for available EV charging grants, ensuring every installation meets technical and funding requirements.
Through the Carbon3 App, you can set bespoke tariffs for each user group. For example, you might offer free or discounted charging to residents, cost-price charging for fleet vehicles, and higher-rate public charging to create a new revenue stream.
We can also integrate your existing legacy chargers into the platform, giving you full visibility of energy use, ownership, tariffs, and billing. This includes ongoing ESG-ready reporting, helping you meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations.
Battery Storage and Solar PV.
Battery storage allows surplus solar electricity to be stored and used when needed, at night or during peak demand. This improves energy self-sufficiency, reduces tenants’ reliance on the grid, and helps manage energy costs more predictably.
Even without solar PV, battery storage provides residents with the opportunity to load shift to avoid peak grid tariffs. It also leaves them with reliable electricity in the event of a black or brownout.
Complete social housing retrofit.
Good insulation and an efficient building fabric remain the foundation for any retrofit. We can install or upgrade cavity-wall insulation, loft insulation, roof insulation, draught sealing and other measures.
A fabric-first approach reduces heat loss, improves comfort, and lowers energy demand. These fabric-first steps form the baseline for more advanced low-carbon upgrades.
Funding Support.
The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF), formerly SHDF, remains a primary funding route for social landlords seeking to retrofit housing stock to energy-efficient standards. We’ve installed many funded projects, including wave 2.1 and currently wave 3.
Carbon3 also helps clients prepare strong applications, specify eligible measures, and manage every stage from funding allocation through to delivery and compliance. If you need funding, or have won it but aren’t sure where to start, Carbon3 can help.
Our retrofit packages typically include insulation, ASHPs, solar PV, battery storage and EV chargers. No need to worry about maintenance, as our expert O&M team are on hand to fix any issues that arise. This holistic approach increases energy efficiency in the short and long term.
Resident engagement.
Working in social housing requires sensitivity and clear communication. Carbon3 assigns a dedicated Resident Liaison Officer for each project to explain upgrades and timescales to tenants, and offer support during installation.
This residentfirst approach builds trust, reduces complaints, and improves satisfaction with retrofit works.
“We had loads of meetings and were always in the loop as they say. I can only praise Carbon3. Now there’s a definite change in my bills. Obviously what helps are the solar panels which have been installed.”
– Andy, Gravesham Social Housing Resident.
– Andy, Gravesham Social Housing Resident.
O&M & Whole Borough Management.
Retrofit is only the first step. Long-term performance depends on reliable Operations and Maintenance. Carbon3 supports housing providers with estate-wide or borough-wide O&M services, combining remote monitoring, preventative care, and rapid reactive maintenance across all renewables.
Our O&M team is dedicated solely to maintenance, they do not work on installations, which gives us some of the fastest response times in the industry. Because they aren’t shared across projects, they are always available when faults occur, helping you minimise resident disruption and keep systems performing at their best.
We’ve worked with boroughs to create clear specification guidance, ensuring every repair is carried out efficiently and consistently. Our engineers are cross-trained across all technologies and always arrive with the right equipment on board; our van stock is standardised to match the spec guidance, so most issues can be resolved in a single visit.
Alongside physical maintenance, we collect system performance data to support EPC updates, compliance audits, and funding requirements.
Why Choose Carbon3?
Choosing Carbon3 means partnering with a leader in renewable energy services committed to sustainability, innovation, and exceptional customer care.
