Installing solar panels on a domestic property can reduce carbon emissions by as much as half and reap great financial rewards for homeowners.
In the spring of 2019, Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-op were approached by local homeowner Mr Ed Cook to help with the installation of a rooftop solar PV system for his property in Brighton.
As someone who is passionate about climate change and a desire to reduce his carbon emissions, Ed wanted to make his home more sustainable by generating his own power using clean renewable energy.
Prompting Ed to take action was the UK Government’s decision to repeal the Feed-In-Tariff subsidy. For the past nine years the Feed-In-Tariff has rewarded new solar power generators with payments for any excess electricity that they export to the National Grid.
Any new projects that were completed before 31st March 2019 would be eligible to receive this subsidy for the next twenty years – otherwise, this excess electricity would effectively be given away for free.
The race was on to complete the install in time…
Combining solar panels with battery storage for optimum results
Following a detailed energy survey of the property BHESCo concluded that the site was an ideal location for solar power.
By analysing Ed’s energy bills to gain a comprehensive understanding of his consumption, BHESCo suggested that the addition of a solar power battery would enable Ed to make better use of the solar energy that was generated.
This greatly enhanced the cost-effectiveness of the system over the long term, as more electricity can be used on site instead of exporting to the grid. The average cost of electricity in the UK is about 17p/kWh. The Feed-In-Tariff is about 4p/kWh. Therefore it is more economical to save money by not purchasing electricity than it is to gain money by exporting it.
The system was installed in mid-March 2019, making it eligible for the Feed-In-Tariff for the next 20 years.
Funding for the solar panels and battery storage system
The project was 100% financed via BHESCo’s ‘Pay As You Save‘ financing.
On behalf of the property owner BHESCo paid for the full project cost of £8,095. The system will belong to BHESCo until the upfront cost has been repaid.
In order to repay this upfront cost, the property owner enters into a ‘Power Purchase Agreement’, whereby they agree to buy the solar electricity produced from BHESCo at a discounted rate compared to their energy supplier. In this way they will start to see savings immediately.
Over a number of years the cost of the system is gradually repaid until eventually the ownership of the solar panels is transferred to the property owner.
Financial benefit
£11,441
over 20 years
Environmental benefit
90%
electricity needs met
Enhancing financial performance through Moixa 'Gridshare' technology
To supplement the 4kW solar panels BHESCo recommended the installation of a Moixa 4.8kW lithium battery storage system.
A Moixa battery was chosen in order to take advantage of their ‘Gridshare’ software platform.
GridShare identifies a home’s energy generation, consumption patterns, weather forecasts and any available flexible tariffs. Based on all these data points, GridShare generates a personalised charging and energy plan for each customer.
In the future, GridShare will also allow households to take advantage of the evolving energy market by trading electricity to their neighbours with the grid.
As a result of installing the solar panel array and Moixa battery storage solution, we expect Ed to be able to meet 90% of his own electricity needs each year.
Through a combination of reduced energy costs plus revenue earned via the Gridshare platform we estimate that Ed will be more than £11,000 better off financially due to his solar and battery technology.
Anyone interested in exploring the viability of solar power for their home or business should contact BHESCo to request an energy survey of their property.
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