Mohamed Gaafar, CEO of Gryd, explains how new homes can offer premium energy features at zero hardware cost through a funded solar and battery model. Think fixed-price “broadband for electricity,” easier sales, and 70–75% self-supply without developers gambling on capex or buyers waiting years for payback.
For UK housebuilders, “minimum compliance” delivers maximum disappointment. Buyers want affordability, resilience and clarity today, not in 2030. The fix may be less about tech and more about the model.
Gaafar argues that regulations should be the floor, not the ceiling. Meeting buyer needs (predictable bills, resilience, comfort) demands product innovation and commercial innovation chiefly, moving on-site generation from ownership to service via funded solar and battery.
“Who’s going to solve this for homes in a way that really makes sense economically, is equitable, and can do it at scale?” - Mohamed Gaafar
Stop treating energy tech as a kitchen-upgrade ROI. A service model like funded solar and battery fits how people actually live, move and budget.
Don’t wait for “perfect tech.” Solar + batteries are mature; heat pumps and shared heat networks are advancing fast.
Design for human outcomes: predictable monthly energy costs, comfort in heatwaves, and real emissions reduction beyond Part L/Future Homes Standard.
Make the offer legible: show savings now, switching flexibility later, and no ownership burden, funded solar and battery makes that conversation simple.
Gryd finances, installs and operates optimised rooftop PV and home batteries on new builds. Buyers get the benefits through a fixed monthly energy service (like broadband) rather than owning hardware.
Ownership ties families to a property and a 8–12-year payback. Loans add risk and complexity. With funded solar and battery, households pay a flat monthly fee for energy from their roof and battery, keep their chosen grid supplier for the rest, and can still purchase the system outright later if they wish.
The agreement is attached to the property. Each new buyer can either subscribe or buy the system at a declining price point. In short: the benefits persist, the choice remains and the flexibility of funded solar and battery helps homes transact cleanly without “who owns the kit?” friction.
Sales uplift with a compelling value story (e.g., increasing from four panels/no battery to 16 panels + a large battery, covering ~70–75% of a typical home’s electricity). Lower buyer running costs, stronger EPC, and a differentiator in tough markets, without the capex exposure.
The monthly service price is fixed; usage doesn’t change it. Gryd monitors performance, handles O&M, and replaces the battery/inverter once over the term. That’s one reason funded solar and battery is resonating: it turns technical uncertainty into a managed, predictable service.
By scaling on-site generation and storage now, schemes can exceed the minimums, reduce bills on day one, and improve resilience. A development-wide funded solar and battery approach helps meet carbon and comfort outcomes while protecting developer margins.
Use the “two costs” frame: the price you pay each month and the resources you consume over time. Funded solar and battery lowers both, cutting grid import and smoothing bills, while avoiding a five-figure up-front spend on kit that may not pay back before a move.
Gaafar’s experience across hot regions underlines the role of passive design, shading, street proportions, and courtyard logics to reduce reliance on AC. Pair climate-savvy architecture with smart services like funded solar and battery and you protect comfort, costs and carbon as summers intensify.
From early-stage briefs to performance verification, we align commercial models with design intent, so value survives “value engineering.” We scope, stress-test and integrate propositions like funded solar and battery alongside heat strategies and fabric-first choices.
This is the kind of work we support at Darren Evans Ltd. If this resonates with your challenges, let’s talk.
The opportunity is clear: when we make low-carbon simple, predictable and human-centred, models like funded solar and battery move from pilot to default.
