CROWN Estate Scotland’s approach to decarbonising rural housing has been recognised at Scotland’s flagship rural awards, hosted by Scottish Land & Estates (SLE).
The organisation won the Iver Salvesen Award for Combating Climate Change for its Solar North programme at the Helping it Happen Awards.
Solar North Phase 1 combines solar photovoltaic panels, battery storage, hot water diverters and EV charging infrastructure across rural tenanted properties. The programme has been designed as a scalable and replicable model for rural housing decarbonisation, balancing environmental ambition with the challenges of retrofitting traditionally constructed homes.
By integrating renewable energy generation with storage and smart energy use, the systems are designed to enable homes to generate electricity on-site and retain it for use when demand is highest. Hot water diverters use surplus electricity to heat water, while EV charging infrastructure supports the move towards low-emission transport.
Delivery required bespoke system design to accommodate differences in building fabric, orientation and grid connectivity.
Future phases could incorporate technologies such as heat pumps, alongside enhanced energy monitoring and further tenant engagement.
The Helping it Happen Awards honour the businesses, projects, and individuals from across rural Scotland making an outstanding contribution to the rural economy, communities, wildlife and the environment.
Organised by SLE with headline sponsor NatureScot, the ceremony was attended by politicians and representatives from rural organisations, businesses and communities.
