8,500-home Kent new town to run on solar-powered ‘smart grid’

Subject to planning, the company also plans to develop a 12 megawatt 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 is set to comprise over 8,500 new homes, with a “substantial portion” of these being affordable homes. Clean energy assets would have a total combined capacity of up to 39 megawatts and the potential to generate 34 gigawatt hours of electricity for the scheme annually - around half of the town’s demand.

SNRG said the smart grid would reduce the import of grid-based power and provide residents with “significant savings on their energy bills from day one”, expected to total millions over the first 30 years of their contracts.

Under the agreement, SNRG will fund the solar and storage on site, as well as contributing towards the cost of the distribution network. The council would therefore be able to deliver the infrastructure with no upfront costs to itself, housebuilders or residents.

According to Knight Frank, power limitations are delaying projects for around one-third of developers, with approximately 15,000 homes currently stalled due to grid connection issues. 

A report by LCPDelta also highlights rising costs, with new connections reportedly exceeding £10,000 per home in some cases and reaching £14,000 per home in specific developments.

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 £34m across the site.

Dan Nicholls, chief product officer and Otterpool project lead at SNRG, said: “Our smart grid infrastructure will allow residents to benefit directly from renewable energy generated on their doorstep - while 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.”

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.

“It is envisaged that alongside the solar panels, sheep would be able to graze and the land could offer space for community gardens and an orchard.”