“I believed in the data I was seeing from others installing solar and batteries, and I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint and monthly costs too. It also felt important that clients could see I’d embrace what I was selling myself.” 

Key stats 

Location: Dorset 

Set up: 3.68kWp solar panel array with SolarEdge inverter and Tesla Powerwall 2 

Annual generation: 3,800 kWh 

Predicted annual savings: £1,000 

Predicted payback: ~8 years  

The challenge: Optimising solar for a shaded roof 

For Luke, the decision to get solar panels wasn’t driven by one single factor. Alongside the environmental benefits, he saw solar as a practical way to reduce reliance on the grid and bring more stability to his energy costs. 

“Interest rates are so low, and energy prices are becoming increasingly volatile – I realised it was better for me to invest and reap the rewards as opposed to leaving the money in my savings earning next to nothing.” 

As with most homeowners, Luke was limited by roof space – and also needed to consider the shading cast by his large chimney. So, choosing the right tech for his rooftop was crucial. 

The solution: Making the most of every panel 

As a solar expert with years of industry experience, Luke had the benefit of being able to design his own solar system using the best solar tech for his needs.  

With traditional string systems, all panels feed into one central inverter. That means that if one panel underperforms (because of shade, dirt, or debris), it can drag down the performance of the whole system. Instead, SolarEdge optimised systems allow each panel to work individually, meaning the panels affected by the chimney shading wouldn’t impact the efficiency of the full solar array. What’s more, SolarEdge systems offer panel-by-panel level monitoring, enabling Luke to keep close tabs on his data. 

“I designed my own system. I just needed to consider the shade from my chimney, which casts shade on my main array, SolarEdge optimisers mitigated that. The monitoring and reporting from SolarEdge is fantastic and allows me to understand what my system as doing when and if there are any issues at all. The system also offers enhanced safety features, strong reliability, warranties, and performance, which provides real peace of mind.” 

Adding a battery to his solar array was an easy decision. Luke opted for the 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall. 

 “The data showed that during the day I’d be generating more electricity than I could use which would mean sending the excess to the grid – and then buying electricity back again at night. That made adding a battery a no-brainer, as it meant I could simply store that energy to use later, instead of relying on the grid.” 

Read: the best batteries explained

The result: Lower bills and greater independence 

Luke’s system was expected to generate between 3,500 and 3,800 kWh each year – and it’s delivering exactly that. In fact, it’s generating at the top end of that range, powering his home with 3,800 kWh of clean energy in the first year. That covers around 75–80% of his home’s electricity needs. 

More importantly, it’s changed how he feels about energy overall: “Going solar completely changed things for me – I feel more independent, less stressed about bills, and there’s a real psychological shift that comes with that. It’s now something I’d consider absolutely non-negotiable in any future home”.  

What should people understand before installing solar?  

1. “Find honest, transparent and highly knowledgeable sales-people”.  The team you work with should clearly explain both the benefits and the realities of solar, giving you a full picture of your options and how to get the most from your system. From higher export in summer to lower generation in winter, they should talk you through how things like time-of-use tariffs and export rates can help stabilise your overall savings. 

2. “Find a trusted installer that directly employs its team”.  The company you choose should have its own in-house installation team, so you know exactly who’s responsible for delivering your system. This usually leads to a more consistent standard of work, clearer communication throughout, and ongoing support from people who truly understand your setup. 

3. “Buy higher quality equipment whenever possible”.  Higher quality equipment is typically safer, more reliable and built to last, with strong warranties that protect you if anything does go wrong. Luke’s spoken to several unfortunate homeowners who originally thought they’d saved £2,000 by choosing a cheaper quote, only to later feel they had wasted £12,000 on faulty systems.  

For him, it was about choosing a long-term partner that genuinely cares about delivering a quality, lasting installation: “I knew that Good Energy offered the real deal – a long-term partnership with trustworthy installers that care about a quality, long-lasting installation.” 

The post Luke’s story: installing solar at home as a solar expert  appeared first on Good Energy.

Install as many solar panels as you can fit on your roof

I moved house in late 2022, I knew I wanted to power my house from the sun but I could only physically install seven panels on the south-facing roof. These panels were only capable of generating approximately 2500kWh per year.

I wanted to be able to generate as much power as possible, to provide a good baseline of power across the entire year, not just during the sunnier summer months. In my opinion, filling the available roof space held the key to unlocking the true potential of solar energy in the UK; and it’s more cost-effective to install multiple solar panels at the same time, rather than return for more panels at a later date. Therefore, I decided to install solar panels on both my south-facing and north-facing roofs.

South-East vs. North-West facing solar panels

Installing solar panels on a north-facing roof is not something typically recommended. During the winter months, my north-facing solar panels receive no direct sunlight, resulting in very low power output. But as the sun climbs higher in the sky during early spring into summer, these panels receive direct sunlight and, more importantly, capture the late afternoon and evening sunshine. This afternoon and evening sunlight is superb because that’s when I use power more frequently in the house.  

Analyzing the performance of both orientations throughout the complete year of 2023 proved fascinating. As you can see from the screenshot, the seven panels facing South-East generated an average of 380kWh each, (with the ones closest to chimneys experiencing slight shading and reduced generation). As expected, the North West-facing panels produced less power compared to their South East counterparts, averaging approximately 220kWh per panel. However, considering they are installed on a roof typically deemed unfit for solar panels, their performance can be considered commendable.

Powering hot water and electric vehicles with solar panels

My intention was not only to generate solar power for electricity but also to utilize it for heating the hot water tank. To achieve this, I installed a smart hot water controller, directing excess solar power towards water heating. The result was astounding – my gas usage was reduced to zero for an impressive six months of the year.

The system worked so effectively that I completely turned off the boiler in May, only reactivating it in October when the need for heating arose. Furthermore, during those six months, I was able to power my eight-year-old electric vehicle, equipped with a small 23kWh battery, using the surplus solar energy harvested in the afternoon.

Get in touch today to discuss your solar design, and we’ll help you to understand whether north-facing solar panels would work for you, too.

More case studies

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The post Richard’s story: Installing solar panels on a north-facing roof appeared first on Good Energy.

Key stats

📍 Location: Bristol

✅ Set up: 7.565kWp solar panel array with SolaSkirt, Tesla Powerwall 3, 12kw Midea air source heat pump with 250 litre cylinder, Smart tariff, Export tariff

☀️ Projected annual generation: 7034 kWh

📊  Projected annual savings: £1694.06 per year*

📊 Carbon offset: Equivalent to planting 84 trees each year

Why choose Good Energy? 

David already knew he wanted to upgrade to greener technologies but, when he met Good Energy at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in Swindon, he valued our team’s expert advice:

“Good Energy was a brand that I trusted to talk to about the work.”

Good Energy successfully installed his air source heat pump at the start of 2025 – emboldening David to go ahead with his solar and battery installation in April, and switch to our supply and export tariffs shortly after.

Find out about our NSBRC exhibition

Upgrading David’s heating: from gas to heat pump 

David’s old gas combi boiler pushed him to make the switch sooner than planned: “It was coming to winter and I didn’t think it would make it. The old boiler was too unreliable.” The heat pump installation took less than a week to complete, replacing two radiators in the process.” 

Despite difficult weather during the heat pump installation, David was pleased with the team’s efforts: “The weather was terrible with lots of rain, but the team were great.”

Although he didn’t think his home’s insulation was ideal at the time of installation, David decided to go ahead. Since the install, the heat pump has surpassed expectations: “I was surprised with how it performed. With bad loft insulation, I thought it would be really cold, but our home feels just the same as with the gas boiler.”

Following completion, David got his home fully disconnected from the gas grid, with straightforward guidance from our team, saving him £120 a year in gas standing charges alone.  

Using renewable power in a dynamic way

Sustainability played a “massive role” in David’s decision to invest in renewable energy technologies.

“The impact of burning fossil fuels has been shown to be harmful for the planet and ultimately unsustainable. If technology can be used to get electricity from other sources, it’s the way forward.” 

“It’s a comfort to know that the electricity being used in my house really is renewable, not just being generated by fossil fuels somewhere else.”

David’s Tesla Powerwall 3 has helped him to use energy in a more dynamic way – with the option to store excess solar power, and to charge up overnight on an off-peak rate thanks to Good Energy’s Smart EV tariff.

“I charge my battery overnight using Good Energy’s EV tariff, and during the day, I export most of the power I generate – building up a healthy credit on my energy account through Good Energy’s Solar Savings Exclusive export tariff. Even on cloudy days, my solar panels are powering my car, heating my hot water, and still supplying enough energy for the rest of my household needs.”

David’s whole home green solutions from Good Energy have significantly reduced his reliance on the grid, decarbonised his home, and given him resilience from fluctuating energy prices. 

A green ripple effect: decarbonising Redland Green Sports Club

As Director of Redland Green Sports Club, David was keen to extend his sustainability efforts beyond his home. Impressed by his own installation experience, he partnered with Good Energy again to upgrade the club’s energy system. We installed a 158-panel, 68.73 kWp SolarEdge array with 80 optimisers – designed to maximise generation across the roof space. With a projected payback period of just 3.7 years, the system is helping the club cut costs, lower emissions, and lead by example in the local community. Up next? A commercial heat pump installation.

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*David’s projected annual savings are based on an estimated annual generation of 7034 kWh. This will vary slightly year to year based on solar radiance levels, but is a good indicator. Savings also rely on joining a well-paying export tariff like Good Energy’s solar savings.

The post David’s story: A future-proofed home with solar panels and a heat pump  appeared first on Good Energy.

Jackie’s review

“Good Energy has managed our Feed-in-Tariff administration since we got our solar panels installed. Last year they emailed us to let us know we could earn more from our panels by joining their Solar Savings Export tariff too.  

“We hardly earned anything before we switched. With Good Energy, our savings have increased dramatically – now around £50 every month. It’s incredible really! 

“It was very simple to join the tariff, and we enjoy keeping track of our earnings in the app.”  

FIT and Solar Savings Customer

Mike’s review

“I had my solar panels installed at the end of 2022, and I was one of the first people to get onto Good Energy’s Solar Savings export tariff. Already a supply customer, the export tariff appealed to me as everything would be in one place making it really easy to manage.

“I enjoy monitoring how much energy I am exporting using Good Energy’s app. It’s really helpful to have my earnings applied directly to my energy account too – in the last year, I’ve earned nearly £200 for my excess solar energy.”

Good Energy customer since 2014

Imogen’s review

“We got our solar panels and battery installed by Good Energy, which meant we get their exclusive export tariff rate.

“Joining Solar Savings Exclusive has doubled the savings we make from our solar panels and battery. I like that it’s added as a credit to our account to pay for the energy we’re using when the sun isn’t shining.”

Good Energy customer since 2023

Read the blog

Brian’s review

“Installing solar panels requires a large upfront expenditure. Like putting money in a savings account, you need a good return on that investment – which an export tariff can help offer.”

“I’ve been on Good Energy’s Solar Savings export tariff for a year now and have received over £150 – which helps offset the price of my electricity during the winter months.

“The best thing about working with Good Energy is the ability to communicate with the staff. They are friendly and always willing to help.”

Good Energy customer since 2014

Paul’s review

“Caring for the environment is important to us. We have solar panels and a heat pump that work brilliantly together. We wanted to earn more from the power we shared with the grid too. 

“Before we joined Good Energy’s Solar Savings tariff, we had been earning 4p / kWh for our exported power. Good Energy offered me more than 3 times that – 15p/kWh. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. 

“I find it irresistible to look at our energy usage and export data on Good Energy’s app. It’s great having our supply, export and Feed in Tariff payments all in one place.”  

FIT and Solar Savings customer

The post Solar Savings export tariff reviews appeared first on Good Energy.

Heat pumps can work well in period properties

“Having been involved in environmental charities for many years, I’ve seen how crucial it is that we all do our bit to help the environment. So when I moved into my current home in 2021, my first two purchases were to install solar panels on the roof and toreplace my gas central heating with an air source heat pump.

“My home was built in the late 1700s – which shows that heat pumps really can be installed in all different types of properties, as long as they are sufficiently insulated. Good Energy did a thorough room-by-room survey and have designed a heating system that keeps me warm and comfortable throughout the year.”

Heat pumps provide gentle, ambient warmth

I enjoy the gentle warmth of my heat pump. It really is much nicer than radiators blasting out heat.

What’s more, I like that I can use my home-generated electricity to provide my heating and hot water. It’s fantastic to have these two technologies working together to help me to reduce my impact on the environment.

Gabrielle, Halesworth

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The post Gabrielle’s story: Heat pump installation in a period home appeared first on Good Energy.

Parents to two and grandparents to three, Paul and Anne care deeply about the planet. Over the years, they have made upgrades to their home to reduce its impact on the environment, including installing solar panels and buying two electric cars.

And in 2021, fed up with their expensive oil heating system which left their home cold throughout the day, they decided to install an air source heat pump.

Replacing an expensive oil boiler with a heat pump

“As we live off the gas grid, our heating was being provided by oil, and we were using bottled gas for cooking. It was incredibly expensive, and we could only afford to turn on our heating for an hour or so in the morning and in the evening. That left us with long periods throughout the day when we were cold – not pleasant when you are working from home.

For a long time, we have been very worried about the planet, so we sat down together and discussed whether an air source heat pump might be an option for us. We have a 70s property, and I was worried it might not meet the needs of an air source heat pump, but it did, and we decided to go for it.”

Our heat pump install experience with Good Energy

“We selected Good Energy to install our heat pump, and our experience with them was wonderful. It was genuinely a pleasure to have them in our house during the installation.

The team were brilliant at explaining what was going on. They were brilliant technicians, they were clean, and they were pleasant lovely people.”

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A warm, comfortable home

Our air source heat pump makes our home permanently comfortable. We absolutely love returning to a lovely warm house – which is such a contrast to our days with an oil-powered boiler.

Paul Cullen

And is the heat pump noisy?

“Our neighbours were worried about noise when we let them know we were planning to install a heat pump. But they shouldn’t have been. Our Midea heat pump is so quiet, it genuinely emits very little noise even when it is going full blast.

What’s more, the cost effectiveness has been amazing. We have been surprised by the amount of money we have saved.

We love spreading the gospel that installing a heat pump has to be the way forward.”

More case studies

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The post Paul’s story: Creating a warm, comfortable home with a heat pump appeared first on Good Energy.

Key stats

📍 Salisbury, Wiltshire
✅ Samsung R32 air source heat pump
✅ Heat pump ready hot water cylinder
📊 65% reduction in carbon emissions

Motivated by caring for the environment

“I’m motivated by making ethical and environmentally friendly decisions. My gas boiler was getting old, and I wanted to replace it with a greener option, and this is what led me to choose an air source heat pump. It’s sustainable and efficient, and I particularly like that when the sun is shining, it is powered by my solar panels too.

It is very easy to feel hopeless in the face of the climate crisis. But the antidote to feeling hopeless is to do something, is to be active. Whether that is installing an air source heat pump or even putting out water for the birds on a hot day. Just do something and you will feel better for it.”

How did you find the heat pump design and installation with Good Energy?

“I found Good Energy great to work with. From the survey through to design and installation, the team were lovely and always took my wishes into account.

I prefer my home to be on the cooler side, and I let the team know this when they were designing the heating system. Now, I can heat my home exactly how I like it – a constant ambient temperature of around 16 degrees. It’s really easy to manage using an app on my phone and it works brilliantly for my needs.

Initially I was worried that a heat pump would be noisy – but it really isn’t noisy at all. I don’t think my neighbours even know it is there.”

Predictable, lower bills with a heat pump and solar panels

“We’ve just been through two incredibly expensive winters. My solar panels and heat pump have kept my bills significantly lower than those that my friends have unfortunately been faced with, which has been a huge relief through so much uncertainty.

Not only have I looked after the environment and saved myself money, I have future proofed my home as well.”

Play video

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Replacing an oil boiler with a heat pump

“I wouldn’t say we are eco warriors. We are just normal people with our eye on the future. And we could see that fossil fuels, like oil, were becoming more and more expensive to buy.

Our three bedroom bungalow had already been well insulated by the previous owners, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get rid of our oil boiler for good, and install an air source heat pump.”

Motivated by energy efficiency

“Our main motivation for getting an air source heat pump was how efficient they can be.

Good Energy remotely monitors the performance of our heat pump – a platform we also have access to – and it is consistently well over 300% efficient. That’s around four times more efficient than our old oil boiler.

We’ve found our electricity costs have gone up – but not as much as the fall in oil costs.”

Clean, tidy heat pump install

“Our heat pump installation was very quick – the team finished it in only four days. We had an electrician, who got on with his part of the install at the beginning of the week, and two plumbers. They all really cracked on and were fantastic: clean, tidy and took everything away that they needed to.

We got very clear instructions on how to work it too.

And in the two years we’ve had our heat pump, there seems to be almost no maintenance required. We’ve had the same Good Energy engineer come to do our annual service each time and have had no problems at all.”

A warm, comfortable home

“Our heat pump doesn’t heat our radiators as hot as our oil powered boiler did, but we’ve never liked any house blasting out heat. It keeps our home at a nice even temperature and has met all of our expectations in every respect.”

More case studies

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The post Jon’s story: Swapping an oil boiler for a heat pump appeared first on Good Energy.

Claire shares their testimonial with us, explaining what it was like having their heat pump installed during the winter, and what they enjoy about their green heating system.

Switching an old gas boiler for a heat pump

“We intend to stay in our home for a long time, so making it sustainable is really important to us.

“Our 20-year-old gas boiler was getting less reliable and gas prices were shooting up. We already had solar panels, and we know that they work alongside air source heat pumps, so we started getting some quotes.

“We found Good Energy’s quote to be really informative and straightforward. Our contact was proactive, but we never felt hassled. We could easily see what had been priced for and included in our quote, and he talked us through the government support that was available too.

“Once we had decided to go ahead, Good Energy took our preferences into account in the design too. A few of our radiators needed replacing, and we were able to swap these out for vertical column radiators as part of the installation, which has really helped to modernise our home.”

“Our heat pump installation was an absolute pleasure”

“We were a bit worried about replacing our heating system in the middle of winter. Thankfully, Good Energy were very considerate about how they scheduled the work so that we were not without heating or hot water for any length of time.

“I couldn’t speak highly enough about the installation team. They were polite, friendly, courteous, and kept us informed about all the work they had planned each day. It was a pleasurable experience – which can’t often be said for people working in your house!

I work in construction, and Good Energy’s heat pump team were one of the best teams I have ever worked with.

Claire, Bradford on Avon

“Our heat pump just works”

“Our heat pump keeps our house at a very comfortable constant temperature, and it just works. It ticks away in the background and we don’t need to think about it.

“It’s been a great choice for us. Not only is it sustainable and simple to run, but every step of the way including the quote, installation and our annual service has been a painless, pleasurable experience. We are really happy that we went for it.”

The post Jon and Claire’s story: Positive heat pump installation in winter appeared first on Good Energy.