Retrofit project of the year: Scotland and the North

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Scott Court in Dundee is a fully funded solar retrofit project that demonstrates how innovation can unlock decarbonisation for hard-to-heat apartment blocks at zero cost to the housing provider.

 

Delivered in April 2025 through a partnership between solar company Allume, 7,500-home housing association Hillcrest and home services provider Saltire Facilities Management, the project installed a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system that serves 14 flats within a converted, heritage-listed mill.

 

Traditionally, buildings like Scott Court present significant barriers to retrofit. Common obstacles include planning constraints, shared infrastructure, limited internal space and funding challenges. 

 

The breakthrough at Scott Court came through Allume’s SolShare technology – a solar PV system that enables multiple flats to share power from a single rooftop array. Recognised by Ofgem as an Innovation Measure under the UK government’s ECO4 scheme, SolShare unlocks a 45% funding uplift, making fully funded solar retrofits possible for Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band D-rated properties. 

 

The flats at Scott Court have been lifted from EPC Band D to B, with average annual savings of up to £250 on residents’ energy bills, according to Allume.