Social landlords are aware that following publication of the Warm Homes Plan, policy attention is shifting towards cleaner energy, lower bills and better-performing homes.
Batteries are also becoming an increasingly attractive option for social landlords. They store surplus solar power for use later, so less energy is wasted or exported cheaply, and can mean lower bills for tenants – especially in the evening, when demand is higher.
“To make the nation’s homes fit for the future, the government will prioritise rooftop solar, clean heating, energy storage, and flexibility in our investment programmes, alongside fabric and adaptation measures. These technologies will cut energy bills, reduce fuel poverty, improve health outcomes, lower greenhouse gas emissions and deliver a more efficient and more secure energy system.” – Warm Homes Plan, P.25
So solar and battery storage are clearly in the ascendency, and the question is how social landlords should react when procuring.
Top tips for social landlords procuring solar PV and battery storage
Clients must be mindful when sourcing any product or service that they fit the kind of standards needed.
They must ensure that they do their due diligence to meet the correct kind of compliance.
Landlords are not just having to decide whether solar panels and batteries can be installed, they are trying to work out the right intervention for the right homes, at the right stage in a wider investment plan.
Three steps for social landlords considering solar PV and/or batteries:
- Do due diligence – check compliance
- Establish quality of product through certification
- Finally, and only then, factor in price
Following the correct process once a decision has been made on the contractor and sourcing of the product required – be it solar panels, batteries or both – is where frameworks prove their worth.
How frameworks support the procurement of solar PV and battery storage
Framework specifications make sure that contractors keep within building regulations and compliance rules.
For example, if our appointed companies aren’t following those specifications, then our technical team investigates further to make sure they are compliant.
While not making suggestions on specific products, our team can offer advice and guidance to social landlords on other matters. We might suggest that:
- Clients include in their specification that all contractors should be compliant with building regs.
- All our eligible contractors visit the site and contribute their ideas, like a mini-competition interview stage.
Procurement is all about transparency and fairness, so it is ultimately for the client to make the decisions and do their own due diligence.
Never forget: a damp home with a solar panel is still a damp home
When a social landlord decides on solar panels and/or batteries, they might also have other works in the pipeline, for instance if adopting a fabric first approach – and our Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) Framework offers multi-disciplinary works.
A client might say there’s going to be air source heat pumps but, when quizzed, add that there will be solar PV as well. And external wall insulation. We will then recommend the Multi-Disciplinary Works workstream to them, as we’ve got contractors who can do all three.
Then we look at timescales and make suggestions, but it is always for the client to decide.
The Procurement Act has sharpened the need to get process right, with procurement teams under more pressure to show that their chosen route to market is appropriate, defensible and aligned with the outcome the landlord is trying to achieve.
How LHC’s N9 framework can help
Our N9 Framework includes dedicated lots for solar PV and battery storage, as well as EV charging, reflecting growing demand for integrated energy solutions.
That gives users access to qualified and competent installers across renewable electrical generation, storage and control. There are also LHC experts on hand to guide at every stage of the process.