Project Overview
Redhill Services recently installed a solar battery system for a homeowner in Costessey, who already had an existing solar panel array. The customer was using a ground source heat pump, which consumed a significant amount of electricity. To maximise their solar energy usage and reduce reliance on the grid, they opted for battery storage.
Challenges
- The customer was on an older Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, which pays them for 50% of their generated electricity, regardless of actual grid exports.
- Any modification to the inverter’s capacity could have put them in breach of their FIT contract.
- Their existing solar panels were old and covered in lichen, potentially reducing efficiency.
Our Solution
- Installing a Hybrid Inverter: We fitted a SOLAX hybrid inverter with a capacity of 3.7kW, ensuring compliance with the FIT scheme while allowing battery charging.
- Battery Storage Setup: We installed a full stack of three-kilowatt batteries, providing the customer with 12kWh of total storage capacity.
- Preserving FIT Payments: By keeping the inverter size unchanged, the customer continued receiving FIT payments while benefiting from stored solar energy.
Outcome
The homeowner now benefits from optimised solar energy storage, reducing reliance on grid electricity for their ground source heat pump. Additionally, after raising concerns about their solar panels’ performance due to dirt buildup and lichen growth, we investigated the issue and found that the lichen could be removed with minimal effort. Upon the customer’s request, we arranged a scaffold and thoroughly cleaned all the panels, restoring them to a sparkling condition. This likely improved energy generation, further maximising efficiency. The customer was extremely satisfied, not only with the battery installation but also with the extra service of restoring their solar panel efficiency.
