"New homes can lead the way in decarbonising heating, transport and wider energy use, but we have to make sure networks are future-proofed so customers can get maximum advantage – whether that’s being able to share the energy they generate locally, exporting it to the grid, or just having the most sustainable home they can in a more affordable way."

Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Services

Avoids the need for costly network upgrades and ensures local capacities are not exceeded

The UK will struggle to build the new homes it needs to a zero carbon standard, says E.ON, without hundreds of billions of pounds of investment in local energy networks or a smarter way of connecting and sharing sustainable energy sources across developments.

With the Government’s ambition to create 300,000 new homes¹ a year into the mid-2020s, E.ON warns each development may need to also carry the extra cost of grid reinforcement to make sure technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers can play a role without overloading existing power networks.

Working with housing developers and distribution network operators E.ON has developed a new solution designed to allow electricity use to be smartly managed across new developments – balancing grid supply with the flexibility of on-site generation built into properties, allowing homeowners to play their part in a zero carbon future and ensuring local network capacities are not exceeded.

In a pilot project with Cala Homes, Energy Assets and SP Energy Networks, 77 homes meeting new sustainable heating regulations are being built at Maidenhill, near Glasgow, in a project which otherwise would have required £5.5 million of grid upgrades, equivalent to almost £7,000 in additional costs per home across the entire development².

Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for Energy Infrastructure Services at E.ON, said: “New homes can lead the way in decarbonising heating, transport and wider energy use, but we have to make sure networks are future-proofed so customers can get maximum advantage – whether that’s being able to share the energy they generate locally, exporting it to the grid, or just having the most sustainable home they can in a more affordable way.

“The UK will require hundreds of thousands of new low carbon homes to be built in the coming decades, connected to a smart energy network. Our solution will enable homes to be built to the highest sustainability standards - with heat pumps, solar panels and EV chargers - and connected to the grid where otherwise there could be insufficient network capacity. This collaboration with Cala Homes is a step towards ensuring that new communities across the UK realise their low carbon energy potential.”

Stephen Kelso, Group Product Design Manager for Cala Homes, added: “Building more sustainable communities is a huge task for the housebuilding sector and a major focus for Cala. New, innovative technology is vital to this, but it’s not a case of just switching this on. The right infrastructure needs to be in place to support it.

“Enabling technology like this opens up a world of low carbon elements that we can install in homes and neighbourhoods to help work towards our net zero aspirations. Our homeowners and their communities will see the benefits too, with more efficient and sustainable homes meaning energy and money saved. We are excited to see what impact this revolutionary technology might have on the sector as a whole, as we work towards a greener future.”

In more traditional developments, the peak amount of power flowing into a region is dictated by the scale of the local network, its cables and substations. That grid capacity can also limit the amount of power customers can generate at home or in business and can also limit people’s ability to share any surplus renewable electricity they generate.

Mark Ritzmann, Managing Director of E.ON Group Innovation, said: “Our project launch in the UK is the first step and there is huge economic potential for scaling. It is estimated that E.ON’s dynamic solution will be required by a majority of the 2100 Distribution System Operators across Europe, with the biggest demand anticipated in eastern regions.”

E.ON’s solution - termed ‘smart load management’ - is a live, locally controlled system which balances the electricity supply and demand on the local network. The system takes a ‘local first’ approach to energy use and maximises the sharing and availability of on-site renewable generation – for example, solar panels on roofs - to ensure the energy generated but not used in a home is available to the local network and can be used elsewhere on the development, reducing demand for power from the national grid.

For more information visit eonenergy.com/business/why-eon/case-studies/maidenhill.html or eon.com/en/innovation/innovation-frontline/success-stories/smart_technologies_for_low-carbon_buildings.html.  

Notes to Editors:

• UK Parliament Research Briefing: Tackling the under-supply of housing in England https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7671/
• The Maidenhill development in Newton Mearns near Glasgow will include the building of 800 new homes.

About Cala Homes

• Cala Group is a major UK home builder focused on building well-designed, high quality homes in prime locations throughout the South of England, the Midlands and Scotland. 
• Cala started as the City of Aberdeen Land Association in 1875 and was the first Scottish company listed on the London Stock Market.
• Today, Cala Group is a subsidiary of Legal & General Capital, the early-stage investment arm of Legal & General Group and comprises Cala Homes and sister company Legal & General Homes. 
• Cala Group employs 1,200 people across 9 offices and has 75 live developments at any time. For further information visit www.cala.co.uk.

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