A couple who built a solar-powered home that provides nearly half their electricity say others facing soaring energy costs should follow suit.
Owen Kelly and his fiance Monika created the property of their dreams – a budget-friendly, energy-efficient Scandinavian-style smart home, 40 minutes north of Cork city in Donoughmore.
And while they are still nervous about utility bills this winter, they say their solar panels could make a big difference.
Read More: 50 ways you can reduce your energy bills as recession looms and cost of living soars
Owen said: “We generated about five megawatts of electricity over 2021.
“About 56% of our power came from the grid, the rest our panels generated.
“On a good sunny week, we only import 4% of our electricity from the grid, which allows us to store power until the next day. It also powers our hot water. Over the winter, looking at the figures from the month of December, we were able to generate 21% of energy, which was not great.
“But we also used the day/night energy service provided by many companies.
“Over the night, because the price is lower, we would run the appliances that needed the most energy, like our dishwasher, or charging our house battery.”
Owen believes that this will be the most likely scenario for them this winter, as he hopes to get more solar panels next year. He said: “The more panels you have, the more power is generated.
“And if you generate more electricity than you need, you can just sell it back to the grid.”
The self-builder said he has already seen a steady increase in the demand for solar panels.
He added: “They are one way of making the most of savings, there are grants available for those with older homes, but my advice would be to start small, and then build a system over time.”
Irish households, which typically use 4.2 megawatts of electricity per year, are bracing themselves for huge increases in utility bills through the winter.
SSE Airtricity has just announced it is further hiking both gas and electricity by 35% and 39% respectively.
Electric Ireland has already increased its prices this month. But Owen and Monika are hopeful they will not see any dramatic rises in their bills – and it’s not just solar panels that help to keep their house energy efficient.
Owen said: “One thing that definitely helps is insulation and triple glazing, which we built into the house,
“People are surprised that we don’t have central heating. And for winter, it will be really good for us moving forward,
“Not everybody can buy and build a smart house, but houses can apply for grants with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to get energy costs down, and make your house more efficient.“
The SEAI has opened applications for solar energy grants to all homeowners whose homes were built and occupied before 2021.
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