A new all-electric garden town in Kent will not only run almost entirely on renewable energy but also supply surplus power back to the National Grid.
Otterpool Park, a 8,500-home development near Folkestone due to welcome its first residents in 2027, has signed an agreement with energy infrastructure company SNRG to create a “smart” microgrid capable of acting as a virtual power plant for the rest of the country.
Each home will come equipped with electric hobs, heating systems, EV chargers, rooftop solar panels, and battery storage – removing the need for fossil fuels. Developers also plan to build a solar farm on adjacent council-owned land to provide up to half the town’s electricity needs.
In total, Otterpool Park will have around 34 megawatts of renewable energy capacity and one communal grid-scale battery for every 300 homes. According to SNRG, residents will be able to make “significant savings on their energy bills from day one” thanks to the use of locally generated electricity.
By producing and storing its own renewable energy, the development will avoid the costly and time-consuming grid reinforcement works that delay around a third of UK housing projects, according to Knight Frank. While the town will still draw from the National Grid during periods of low solar generation, such as winter, it will also be able to supply electricity back when demand elsewhere is high.
Dan Nicholls, SNRG’s chief product officer, said the microgrid would optimise all devices and generation sources to prioritise local solar power and minimise imports from the grid. Even small adjustments – such as pausing all EV chargers for a few seconds – could help balance national supply and demand.
“No single charger could have this impact,” Nicholls explained. “But reducing the charge for just a few seconds on every charger creates a significant aggregated benefit for the grid.”
Jim Martin, leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council, described the scheme as “a perfect example of what can be delivered using renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions”.
He added: “While the solar park is subject to a planning application, which will allow public consultation and scrutiny by councillors, generating green power on council-owned land at no cost to local taxpayers is very attractive.”
SNRG is working on similar smart-grid projects elsewhere in the UK, but Otterpool Park is the most advanced – and could become a blueprint for future large-scale sustainable housing developments.
