CASE STUDY

Dursley Home Renewable Energy Solution

Although they had considered renewable energy generation and storage in the past, Sue and Julian Peachy wanted definitive answers now and to explore how viable it was for solar on their property and the potential cost savings they could realise.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

In the past 12 months, we have all experienced unprecedented increases in our home energy prices. Across the United Kingdom, homeowners are increasingly concerned about rising energy costs. Sue and Julian Peachey contacted Immersa energy advisers to discuss their three-bedroom property in Dursley.

Although they had considered renewable energy generation and storage in the past, they wanted definitive answers now and to explore how viable it was for solar on their property and the potential cost savings they could realise.

Sue and Julian commented, “Our objectives at the start were to; understand the available technologies better, find out if our property location was suitable for Solar PV, as we are near a large hill, and ultimately, be provided with honest and transparent information to base our decisions. Within a few days of completing the Immersa online enquiry form, Michael from Immersa was in touch, taking time to understand our situation and guiding us immediately.”

CONSULTANCY

Following an initial phone call to discuss requirements and expectations, we carried out a roof assessment to understand better what design of Solar PV would be most suitable and effective. We also analysed the property’s annual energy consumption, looking at the hourly, daily and yearly activity. Once we had the necessary data, our Solar PV design team took the lead on a proposed system, the number of panels, and addressing the property location. This assessment meant we could explore the viability of Solar PV and battery storage, including the size of battery required based on the customer’s annual consumption and the available roof space, to deliver a feasible and effective solution for Sue and Julian.

Once we had scoped all this, we followed up with an on-site technical survey to accurately measure the roof and look at suitable cable runs and equipment locations. We ensured Sue and Julian were involved and answered any questions they had.

HOME RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTION

Our design solution incorporated a dual aspect 14-panel system 5.5 kWp (x6 east facing roof x8 west facing roof), complemented with an Alpha Smile5 hybrid inverter with 8.7 kWh battery storage. The design and system considered the current and potential increased energy consumption to provide a future-proof solution.

Based on current consumption, for Sue and Julian, this meant potential cost savings were:

These statistics would significantly reduce energy bills for electricity and reduce reliance on the grid, with a payback period of around 9 – 10 years based on usage and current prices. However, this could also be reduced depending on the potential of energy costs increasing further.

The project duration, from agreement and sign-off on systems to fully installed system, was around three weeks.

CUSTOMER COMMENT

“With rising energy costs, we decided to see if there would be any benefit from having solar panels fitted. Within a few days after an initial enquiry submission to Immersa, we received a reply and a visit from Michael. He was honest with us, informing us we would benefit based on current prices and usage. Still, but during winter, we would see a drop in generation as we live in a sheltered area. His assessment didn’t surprise us.

Michael gave us a detailed quote on the proposed system layout, projected usage, and generation over a year. He advised that our payback period would be 9–10 years based on our energy use and current prices, which again didn’t surprise us. As we were taking a longer-term investment view, this matched our aspirations and budgets. As we progressed to design the system, Michael advised that the panels would fit on two sides of our roof to benefit from the sun’s path. These would be separate circuits to run more efficiently with a battery storage system.

We agreed to proceed as we wanted long-term security, reduced bills, and felt we would contribute to reducing our environmental footprint. Within a short period, teams of very friendly and competent scaffolders, fitters and electricians fitted our new system, and we were ready to go.

Fortunately, we had everything fitted in late autumn, achieving 100% charge before the winter months set in and the sun’s rays disappeared below the skyline. Charging did drop off over the winter, as explained and expected, but we still received some charges, as advised. We did not appreciate how addictive the system app would be, which we can use with the batteries to monitor the system’s performance. It guides us to be more energy efficient and get the most out of the system. We also now appreciate how our energy usage behaviours can change and add these changes to associated savings.

We have recommended Immersa to family and friends who have also had their systems fitted. With the potential for new smart tariffs from suppliers becoming available, we could benefit further in reducing our household costs. We are now looking forward to the brighter months ahead. We are glad we took the plunge and delighted Immersa supported us.”