A couple have slashed their ‘frightening’ £20 per day electricity bill to virtually nothing following an investment in a new solar PV installation and battery storage system.
Tom Amer and his wife had been considering a move to solar renewable energy, generating their own free electricity using solar panels, for a number of years but finally made the leap following the massive increase in energy prices through 2022.
Electricity prices rose by 66.7% and gas prices by 129.4% in the 12 months to February 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Mr Amer, a businessman from Caterton in Oxfordshire, said: “We do have a high energy spend but we work from home, we enjoy winding-down in our hot tub and we don’t like being cold.
“We’d been thinking about renewable solutions and particularly solar panels for a number of years, but it was only when the price of energy shot up last year that we finally thought ‘we’ve got to do something about this!’.
“£20 per day for one power source is frightening.”
Greg Bishop, managing director of NGRE, said: “Net Zero and Carbon Footprint are media buzz words, but for many people, the tipping point was the financial reality which hit home last year.
“Solar solutions with complementary battery storage systems now make so much sense.”
The PV Solar Solution
Mr Amer’s system comprises 16, REC 420w Alpha Pure-R series solar panels, producing 6.72kWp, connected to a 5kW SolarEdge inverter. Each panel is connected to an optimiser that allows the system to constantly track the performance of each panel, maximise the performance of the whole array and identify any problems quickly. Unlike with some systems, in which the whole array is affected if there is any debris or shading on an individual panel, the optimisers allow the remainder to operate to their full potential.
It is estimated that the system’s total annual power generation will be 6,278kWh with the green technology offsetting 3,283kg of carbon dioxide per year.
The Battery Storage System
When choosing their system, the couple wanted to self-consume as much of their self-generated electricity as possible, rather than selling excess back to the grid, and so a battery storage system was essential.
The system uses a 10kWh SolarEdge battery storage system to store any excess power generated by the PV system. This stored energy can be saved for nights, cloudy days and peak demand periods where household usage outstrips PV generation.
Mr Amer said: “We’re going to be producing more than we are using so what excess we produce during the day we’ll use at night rather getting it from the grid.”
NGRE estimates that the PV system in combination with the battery storage system will provide 84% or 4,018kWh of Mr Amer’s electricity needs (the remainder exported to the grid).
Mr Amer added: “It’s already really paying dividends. Even on a grey day we’re generating a decent amount of power.
“We’ve seen our electricity spend go from around £20 per day to nothing. We’re delighted, and that’s in March before it gets really sunny.”
Monitoring
Mr Amer and his wife can easily monitor the system through an online portal or via the mySolarEdge mobile app. Using this they can keep track of their energy generation and energy usage either in real-time or historically using easy-to-follow charts, ensuring they use the energy produced as efficiently as possible.
Mr Amer said: “We’re looking at the app all the time. It’s absolutely fascinating what we’re producing. We even looked at it when we were abroad on holiday.”
The Look – Aesthetics
Mr Amer said: “Being in the Cotswolds we have to be a bit sympathetic to the neighbours. Older panels have white lines on them which make them stand out a bit, but these ones are totally black so blend in nicely against our dark grey tile roof.”
What Next? – An EV?
Mr Amer said: “We’re getting a new electric vehicle in the spring. We’ll be able to charge it up for free with an EV charger. We have a Jeep Cherokee now so we’re looking forward to not filling up with diesel.”
NGRE
Mr Amer said: “NGRE have been excellent, from the delivery driver, who swept up after himself, to the guys on the roof.”
Are you Interested in a Solar PV and/or Battery Storage System? Or EV charging point?
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NGRE specialise in the supply of the latest renewable energy solutions for homeowners, architects, builders and community projects in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas and have more than 10 years’ experience. NGRE are solar suppliers and solar installers, battery storage suppliers and battery storage installers, EV charge point suppliers and EV charge point installers