Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Otterpool Park’s master developer, has signed an exclusive agreement with clean energy infrastructure firm, SNRG, to offer a pioneering smart grid solution to housebuilders for the new 8,500-home garden town in Kent.

The agreement would see Otterpool Park become one of the UK’s first all-electric towns, with SNRG set to design, build and operate a dedicated and funded private wire microgrid to manage locally-generated clean electricity across the development and make affordable and zero-carbon energy available to homeowners.

Power would be generated by rooftop solar panels and distributed to homes and businesses across the site, with excess generation stored in communal batteries. Subject to planning, the company also plans to develop a 12MW solar park on council-owned land adjacent to the site, which, if approved, will provide power to the smart grid, alongside the rooftop solar.

Otterpool Park will comprise over 8,500 new residences, with a substantial portion of these being affordable homes. Clean energy assets would have a total combined capacity of up to 39MW and the potential to generate 34GWh of electricity for the scheme annually, around half of the town’s demand, marking a major milestone for the use of smart grid technology in the UK.

Through reducing the import of grid-based power, residents on the smart grid would enjoy significant savings on their energy bills from day one, expected to total millions over the first 30 years of their contracts. The community would also benefit from the stability provided by hosting long-term local energy infrastructure, over which they have stewardship, with SNRG responsible for the operation, repair and maintenance of the smart grid.

Under the agreement, SNRG will fund the solar and storage on site, as well as contribute towards the cost of the distribution network. The council would therefore be able to deliver a sustainable, net zero community, as well as benefit from a contracted stream of revenue from the proposals, with no upfront costs to themselves, housebuilders or residents.

Recent research by Knight Frank found that power limitations are delaying projects for around a third of developers, with around 15,000 homes currently stalled due to grid connection issues.

SNRG’s approach has the potential to accelerate the connection of new developments and reduce grid reinforcement costs. The funded financial model also increases project viability, making net zero homes a financial and technical reality. At Otterpool Park, it is estimated that developers who choose to connect to the smart grid could save £4,000 per home on the costs of providing solar PV alone, which could total almost £34million across the site.

Dan Nicholls, chief product officer and Otterpool project lead at SNRG, said: “SNRG is delighted to have been selected by Folkestone and Hythe District Council to deliver clean power to Otterpool Park. Our smart grid infrastructure will allow residents to benefit directly from renewable energy generated on their doorstep – whilst also providing a model for future developments which can ease costly and lengthy grid delays and reduce the cost of building sustainable homes. I believe this project shows how we can and should decarbonise our built environment.”

“The Otterpool development plan is in line with our core mission to accelerate the UK’s net zero transition. We look forward to partnering with housing developers as well as industrial and commercial customers to help them to deliver smart solutions for complex energy projects.”

Jim Martin, leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council, said: “The solar park and rooftop solar, connected to the smart grid with a battery storage system, would create sustainable power for the new town for years to come and provide residents with reduced energy tariffs.”

“I firmly believe that this is a credible pathway to achieving net zero in operation at Otterpool Park and is a perfect example of what can be delivered using renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions.”

“Whilst the solar park is subject to a planning application, which will of course enable the public to give their views and allow further scrutiny by councillors, the prospect of generating green power on land already owned by the council and at no cost to local taxpayers is very attractive.”

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