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25-year net revenue.
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The Challenge.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments (CTI), with a $33bn alternatives business, sought to enhance their property portfolio’s ESG credentials, increase tenant attraction, and generate additional revenue streams. A key component of this strategy was integrating energy-efficient solutions that align with their responsible investment vision. CTI aimed to create tangible financial benefits from solar energy generation across their properties while supporting their broader commitment to net-zero carbon emissions. The challenge was to install and optimise solar energy systems across multiple sites, ensuring seamless tenant cooperation and compliance with regulatory requirements.
eEnergy faced specific operational challenges in both projects—CTI’s Network House and Unit H, Three Lakes Retail Park—which required innovative problem-solving and close collaboration with all stakeholders to maintain project momentum.
The Solution.
eEnergy partnered with CTI to implement solar energy systems through 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) at two flagship sites: Network House and Unit H, Three Lakes Retail Park. eEnergy managed the full scope of the project, from design and installation to procurement and maintenance, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards and tenant needs.
- Network House: The project, completed between June and July 2024, was streamlined since the site was unoccupied. However, commissioning was delayed due to the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) requiring power quality monitors that had long lead times. Despite these delays, eEnergy successfully conducted a witness test to move the project forward.
- Unit H, Three Lakes Retail Park: This site presented unique challenges as it was a live construction site, and tenant coordination caused delays. Issues included accessing the mains electrics and inverter areas, alongside handover complications. Despite these obstacles, eEnergy adapted by negotiating around delays and maintaining constant communication with the client to ensure smooth delivery. The project was completed from July to August 2024.
CTI retained ownership of the solar assets, leasing buildings to tenants and selling low-cost energy at a competitive rate of 15p/kWh, indexed over time. Tenants committed to consuming at least 80-85% of the generated energy, with any surplus exported to the grid. This model optimised returns for CTI while delivering clean energy to tenants at a reduced cost.
The Results.
The solar installations at both Network House and Unit H have delivered strong financial and environmental outcomes, helping CTI realise their goals of maximising asset returns, enhancing ESG credentials, and supporting net-zero ambitions.
Key Project Stats.
- £588k total investment, generating £63k of revenue in Year 1
- Reduction of carbon emissions by 77 tCO2e annually
- Combined system capacity: 562 kWp
- 25-year net revenue: £1.8m
The collaboration between CTI and eEnergy has set a benchmark for responsible property investment, aligning financial gains with sustainability initiatives and contributing to long-term portfolio value growth.
Post Installation Images
A quality solar installation is essential to ensure the long-term performance, safety, and efficiency of the system. Proper panel alignment, secure mounting, and meticulous cable management, as shown in these images, are critical for preventing energy losses, protecting against environmental damage, and ensuring regulatory compliance. By securely housing cables and carefully routing them, the system is safeguarded from weather exposure and electrical interference, reducing maintenance needs and ensuring optimal energy transmission. This attention to detail not only enhances the system’s performance but also ensures it meets the highest Health & Safety standards, providing peace of mind and maximizing the return on investment over the system’s lifespan.
Testimonial
“At Network House, Will Ramsbottom was really impressed with how smooth the installation went. He praised the team’s efficiency and the quality of the system, and he’s already considering recommending us for more projects within CTI’s portfolio. It’s always great to get that kind of feedback.” “At Unit H, Three Lakes Retail Park, we faced some challenges with site access and tenant coordination, but Andrew Burton appreciated how we handled those and kept the project on track. He was happy with the outcome and is keen to work with us again on the next project. It’s been a rewarding partnership, and we’re excited to keep it going.”
Matthew Clapton
eEnergy | Senior Project Manager, Solar
