Mohamed Gaafar, Co-founder & CEO, Gryd explains how housebuilders can deliver Net Zero without Net Debt The UK housing market has never been more focused on energy efficiency.
Buyers want homes that offer energy independence and lower running costs; lenders are increasing their “green” mortgage offers; and local authorities are steadily tightening EPC requirements.
Now, with rooftop solar set to become mandatory for almost all new homes from 2027 under the Future Homes Standard, the energy performance of new builds is no longer a secondary consideration – it is the competitive frontline for developers.
Collectively, these changes are ushering in a new regulatory and commercial environment that is fundamentally different to the one housebuilders have operated within for most of the past decade. A minimum EPC C rating is widely expected to become the national baseline. Many developers are already targeting EPC B – with some housing associations even requesting EPC A from housebuilders to reduce the need for future retrofit on their long-term assets. For new builds, the fastest way to secure a higher EPC rating is to improve the factors that drive the SAP calculation – namely thermal performance, heating and ventilation systems, and onsite renewables.
Rooftop solar combined with battery storage is one of the most effective routes for achieving these ratings. Every unit of energy generated on site displaces grid electricity, which carries a carbon factor of roughly 0.16kg CO₂ per kWh.
Even a modest solar array with battery storage can lift a home’s SAP score by several points. For many developments, this can be the difference between a C and a B rating. Crucially, batteries now contribute directly to SAP outcomes by increasing the proportion of renewable energy a home can use, rather than export.
However, delivering these improvements at scale comes with a challenge: capital. Funding optimally-sized solar and storage systems – designed to meet the majority of a home’s energy demand – can cost millions across an entire housing scheme. This comes at a time when borrowing costs remain elevated, and when cash preservation and the removal of barriers to plot sales are critical for developers.
What’s more, while some research suggests that renewable features such as solar arrays can increase a property’s sale price by 6.1%-7.1%, that uplift isn’t guaranteed in today’s affordabilitystrained market.
The industry recognises the need for renewables – and is under increasing regulatory and consumer pressure to deliver them – but the traditional models of procurement are capital-intensive and risk slower adoption.
Why traditional procurement is slowing the sector down
Developers have traditionally delivered solar through outright purchase or simply relied on buyers to finance systems themselves. Both approaches now sit awkwardly with the speed and consistency required to meet rising EPC standards, Future Homes Standard regulations and buyer’s demands. Outright purchase ties up working capital and inflates plot-by-plot capex, often forcing developers to specify smaller or less effective systems than consumers would prefer. Consumer finance, meanwhile, pushes the responsibility onto buyers after completion, delaying the energy performance uplift developers need at planning and adding friction for households already taking on a mortgage.
Neither model scales well. Managing individual systems, finance arrangements and maintenance requirements across large schemes adds complexity, slows build programmes and results in inconsistent outcomes.
The consequence is a deployment bottleneck: solar is proven, required and increasingly seen by consumers as a futureproofed ‘must-have’, but ownershipbased procurement models risk inflating home sale prices and undermining developers’ competitiveness.
Solar leasing: a new route to Net Zero readiness
There is an alternative. Solar leasing, in which a specialist provider funds and maintains rooftop solar and battery systems, allows developers to deliver high-performing clean energy infrastructure across entire schemes with zero capital outlay.
Homeowners or tenants simply pay for the energy service, not the hardware itself. Just as car leasing transformed access to high-quality vehicles, solar leasing opens the door to highperforming renewable systems without the burden of ownership. At Gryd, we fund, monitor and maintain smart solar and battery systems, enabling developers to increase EPC ratings and deliver Future Homes Standard-ready performance without tying up working capital – or risking slower sales cycles because of higher prices.
For households, the benefits are immediate: lower energy bills and greater energy independence without waiting several years for a system to “pay back”, as is typical with consumerfinanced solar. Homeowners pay a fixed, inflation-proof monthly subscription fee for the 25 year life of the system, and can transfer or buy out the system at any time without fees or penalties.
It’s a powerful solution that can unlock access to savings for millions more Brits, and enables more households to benefit from clean solar energy immediately – regardless of income or homeownership status. Bridging the gap between ambition and deployment
The clean energy transition will present challenges for the construction sector, but it also offers significant opportunities for innovation and differentiation. By removing the cost and complexity of ownership, solar leasing enables developers to integrate high-performance solar technology at scale, supporting faster adoption of renewables without compromising financial stability.
Leasing is not the only answer – but it is one of the most practical mechanisms available to help bridge the gap between ambition and deployment. It offers a route for housebuilders, homeowners and the wider market to embrace clean energy today while laying the foundations for Britain’s energy-efficient future.
For more information use www.rdr.link/dbh022
