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London-based Octopus Energy now allows households in the UK that generate more solar power than they need to donate it to families who are struggling financially.
Traditionally, homes with smart meters that produce excess solar energy sell it into the grid, but Octopus says its new “solar sharing” offering will help them gift it instead.
“This is another way to ensure green energy benefits all,” the company says. Customers who opt in will distribute their excess energy via charities and will be able to track how much they’ve donated.
“Solar power is a force for good in itself – and now it can be shared with the ones most in need too,” says Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy Group.
“We’re just at the beginning of this solar revolution, and the more suppliers and customers we can get involved, the bigger the impact will be… It’s not just about building a greener system, but a fairer one too.”
At last count, more than 1.4 million homes in the UK were equipped with solar panels.
In France, Octopus recently announced that its solar projects on farms would come with free storage sheds.
In collaboration with local partners, the clean energy company plans to build 100MW worth of new rooftop solar projects across “hundreds of French farms” by 2030.
“The partners will build large sheds with solar panels on the rooftops on farmers’ land,” the company said. “Farmers benefit from using the new buildings for free to store equipment, vehicles and hay, saving tens of thousands of euros they’d have each spent building the structures themselves.”
