Flagship to assess feasibility of solar and battery technology as part of retrofit

The feasibility study will review Flagship’s housing stock, outline legal and technical considerations such as grid capacity, and assess financial models for funding and payback. The landlord owns 32,000 homes across the East of England.

Residents will opt into the scheme and resident appetite and engagement will also be fed into the report, Sero said.

The government grant comes from Stage 1 of the Community Energy Fund. Upon completion of the feasibility study and a favourable outcome of Stage 1, Flagship and Sero will then apply for Stage 2 funding, which has a maximum funding potential of £100,000.

Garry Knights, strategic asset director at Flagship, said: “Flagship has ambitious plans to retrofit hundreds of homes with better insulation and upgraded heating systems.

“The goal is to create to warmer, more efficient homes for our tenants, which will lead to significant reductions in their energy bills. It will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the country’s goal of becoming a net-zero country by 2050.”

James Williams, chief executive and co-founder of Sero, said: “To make retrofit happen at scale and achieve net zero, the housing industry needs to have the confidence to innovate and consider alternative funding models.

“Organisations such as Flagship which are pioneering these new ways of working are just what the industry needs.”

In February, Flagship revealed it had completed 465 affordable homes in the nine months to 31 December 2023, up 31% from 2022-23.

It then submitted an outline planning application in April to regenerate a 1,100-home development in Norfolk.

In the same month, Santander urged the government to provide renters and homeowners with more upfront financial support for retrofits.