Project Lead: Dr. Shahab Dehghan
Institution: Newcastle University.
Partners: Newcastle City Council, Northern Powergrid, Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC).
Amount: £ 62k
Scheme: Fostering Partnerships.
Theme/Area: Low Carbon Energy Generation/Photovoltaics.
Brief Description: Social housing, which accounts for approximately 30% of Newcastle’s housing stock, offers significant collective flexibility to support the North East’s transition to net zero through coordinated energy consumption and generation. However, existing G100 grid standards restrict solar export from clustered social housing, limiting the effective integration of photovoltaic systems with other low-carbon technologies. The SOLACE project will develop socio-techno-economic models to enable financially and technically viable solar-integrated social housing communities, while incorporating public adoption considerations. This transdisciplinary initiative combines expertise in energy modelling, building performance, and behavioural psychology to deliver affordable, equitable, and scalable solutions.