How going solar let Fintan keep costs down amidst the energy crisis

Rising energy costs on the horizon

Fintan could see what was coming – an energy crisis, where prices would soar.

An engineer who worked from home in Waterford, he knew the effect rising electricity costs would have on his five-person household, especially when the kids were home for the summer. Fintan had been thinking about going solar for a while, and it was clear that the time to act had come. He had processed some SEAI grants while working in an energy agency, and Pinergy had popped up in a few applications. Fintan thought they were the right fit for his green energy journey.

Keen to get up and running

Even though electricity prices were going up, the price of solar panels in Ireland had plateaued. Fintan had run the numbers and was eager to make the move to renewables. Pinergy’s energy expert advised him to get a roof-mounted, 4kw system of ten solar panels for his home in Waterford, which was the perfect solution for his family’s energy needs. “Jamie did an excellent job. He was on the ball, very approachable, with lots of time to talk about options, and wasn’t pushing the product. He always kept me up to date on what was happening.”

Happy habits and an ROI in record time

Fintan’s investment is already paying off.

The solar panels were installed in August 2022, and at the time, he had calculated that it would take five years to get his money back. Since then, that timeframe has gone down to three years, all thanks to Fintan and his family’s sustainable new habits.

They have become conscious consumers, checking the monitoring app to see how much energy the house is consuming, and waiting to use appliances until it’s smart to do so. Timers on the dishwasher and washing machine mean they run at night when the rates are lower.

Fintan’s switch to sustainable energy is a serious success story.

Sensible use of his smart system meant he was generating enough energy to install a hot water diverter alongside the panels. The energy rating of his house has jumped from B3 to B1. “Between the €1,500 we saved in electricity costs, plus the €600 government grant and the €500 reimbursement we got on the microgeneration feed-in tariff, I didn’t need to pay a single electricity bill last year.”

Pinergy installs solar panels in Waterford, but we also supply and install solar panels in Galway, Limerick, Tipperary, and Cork.