The Larsens' Solar Thermal Story

Doug Larsen of Newbury, Berkshire, had solar thermal panels from the Good Energy Shop installed on his 5-bedroom house in September 2008. He explains why:

“I decided to install solar thermal panels because I was concerned about rising energy prices and wanted to future-proof my home for better energy security. We already try to use energy fairly carefully, because it seems like the right thing to do. We’ve got double glazing and high spec insulation, so installing solar thermal panels was the next step. The Schuco solar panels from the Good Energy Shop cost around £4100, but we were able to claim a grant of £400.
The installation of my solar thermal panels through the Good Energy Shop was very straightforward – they were up and running within a day. Scaffolding went up the day before and was taken down again the following day.

Using the sun’s energy to heat the hot water means we now rely far less on our gas-fired boiler – we’ve been able to cut back its use from up to three hours a day to just half an hour morning and night. Most days we get some heat from the solar panels, and the system even worked effectively during the winter.

Not only are we saving money on our gas bills, we’re also earning money from Good Energy for the heat we generate. I was one of the first people to join the Good Energy HotROCs scheme, the UK’s first Renewable Heat Incentive, which pays me around £95 a year. My decision to install solar panels was initially an environmental one - a method to reduce my gas consumption and my carbon footprint. Thanks to this incentive, it’s become an economic one too."