Bought 2 PV systems, 1 solar water heating system & a 23Kwh Electrical Energy Storage System (EESS)
Mr. And Mrs. Thomas in Sketty had been were approaching retirement and weighina up a range of improvements to their home which they were looking to invest in, and to get even closer to their ideal home that they´d always dreamed of. Altogether, they were considering getting an attic conversion including some new Velux windows -which was favoured more by Mrs. Thomas- and possibly also solar panels and a battery system, which was what Mr. Thomas was more keen on. He had heard that some people were saving serious money with solar panels, and recognising that energy prices were trending remorselessly upward and likely to increase even more steeply still in future, he thought it would make a lot of sense of sense to get s solar system installed and not have to spend his retirement worrying about energy costs, and so when Ecotekk knocked his door during the summertime, he was very keen to find out what we could do for them.
When we called out for a discussion a few days later, Mr. And Mrs. Thomas explained the various projects they were considering and how they were planning on financing the work, how they were looking to do the windows first and then possibly the solar panels at some later date, with Mrs. Thomas at first a little bit skeptical of how much a solar PV system would be likely to really benefit them. They were also both concerned that the finished job looked aesthetically pleasing -they only had to glance down the road see examples of terrible solar panel roof-work, with houses in the street fitted with solar panels that just looked chucked on any old how -some with unfathomable designs, others combining modules in portrait and landscape configurations, not to mention jobs where the panels even seemed to be protruding above the roof line. So they were pleased to learn that Ecotekk were the only fully accredited firm out there capable of undertaking both the Velux windows installation and also fitting the Solar PV and batteries, and they wouldn’t have to get two separate firms in to undertake each aspect of the work, with all the time, hassle, and problems with co-ordination that would entail.
The other company they spoke to had been involved in Solar nearly as long as Ross and the Ecotekk team had, but it really became clear to them that solar system design is a different skillset entirely and that Ecotekk staff were vastly more accomplished in this regards, and just knew their stuff so much better. It was also reassuring to know Ecotekk was able to do both the windows as well as the solar panels and battery system, if they had chosen the other firm, they’d have to found an entirely new window installer, and 99% of window and door firms won’t even fit Velux windows anyway. The other firm also wanted more money for inferior kit, came up with a design that was unsatisfactory, and theydidn´t offer anything like as strong in the way of guarantees and aftercare; and neither could they finance the job if they wished to spread out the payments. In the end, the visit from the other installer actually made their decision to choose Ecotekk that much easier.
When we went around to see them again to complete the order, Mr. and Mrs., Thomas opted to change the design we suggested and instead went with a different configuration incorporating 3 rows of 3 panels in landscape, with the 2 Velux windows between the rows. We booked in a provisional installation date for 5-6 weeks to allow for the windows to be manufactured to specification, and made all the necessary arrangements for the job to go smoothly. In due course, a few weeks later, our scaffolders came to put up the scaffolding, and the following day the window team came to fit the new Velux windows. We lost a couple of days to days to the weather, with gale force winds and driving rain stopping play for the day on more than one occasion, but the job was still finished in just over a week in spite of the conditions, and looks absolutely incredible now its finished -a million times better than any of the other solar jobs you can see nearby. We were even able to accommodate a last minute request for an additional 2 modules -over and above what we were scheduled to install and which had to be delivered to the property a day later- and which gave the customer an additional 910W for a total of 5.05Kwp on the roof.
Mr and Mrs. Thomas´ system, in an average year, weather-wise, will generate them 4200kwh of electricity, a saving of well over £1300 pounds just in the first year, but a few years from now could mean savings over and above £2000 annually. The state of the art Fox ESS battery system is compact, slim-line and mounts smartly upon the wall, is IP66 rated for outdoor use, and comes with an integrated heater for maximum performance in cold weather; it could effectively double the amount of solar energy they use themselves at their property (their PV self-consumption), and stores a total of 10.5Kwh of charge, which could either be used within the home at a later period or sold back to the grid. At the same time as saving the Thomas’s a small fortune each year, the system will also mean the family’s carbon footprint will be reduced by over a ton annually -making the family holiday abroad each year feel completely guilt free (in fact the computer modelling indicated the carbon offset over just the first 20 years of the systems lifetime would be the equivalent of no less than 22 long haul flights).
Thats the real beauty with solar -no technology ever made it so easy to do the right thing. In fact, people who go out and buy a solar system from Ecotekk, immediately make themselves better off, all whilst doing something good and setting a positive example for their own children and other parents to follow. There really is no way of looking at int that doesn’t make sense. Mr. And Mrs. Thomas wanted to use some of the money the solar freed up to get some lovely new windows -but whatever home improvements any prospective buyer may wish to undertake in the future -or even if they’d simply like two have another holiday each but no real way to afford it- the key insight is that if you do the windows first (or garden, or kitchen, or whatever), those other jobs will never pay for themselves or for the solar panels. But if you do the solar panels first, in time they will pay for all the other jobs you do afterwards. That’s true wisdom.
The Micro Generation & Energy-Saving Home Improvement Experts.