The Garside Family

Mr and Mrs Garside in front of their home equipped with a Solarcentury Sunstation

The Garside family from Hertfordshire bought a Solarcentury Sunstation® in September 2004. The photovoltaic (PV) installation consisted of two arrays, covering 25m² of roof space, which were installed in just one day.

In its first year the system generated 2,930 kilowatt hours (kWh or units) of clean, inflation proof electricity. According to Energy Savings Trust, the average household consumes 3,300 kWh per year.

The Garsides now generate more energy than they consume and no longer pay for electricity. The excess energy they generate during the day is sold back to their electricity supplier. At night they buy electricity as usual but this is less than they sell in the day.

Mr and Mrs Garside were inspired by the RSPB to make their home more environmentally friendly. “We wanted PV because it’s a very practical solution to do our bit for the environment. A PV installation is also a simple structure and very low maintenance.”

Solarcentury advised the Garsides on planing procedures, grants, and selecting the right technology solution for their home. Their sunstation® was designed in two arrays and installed on east and west facing roofs. A 15% reduction in generated electricity was expected, but the system still provides more energy than the family consume.

Their success is due to their changing attitudes towards energy consumption. In their first year with solar power, the Garsides used 16% less energy than previous years as they “became much more aware” of the way they use electricity and took “simple steps to economise”. In 2004, before their installation, the Garsides used 3000 kwh a year, decreasing to 2,570 kwh in 2005, and 2,600 kwh in 2006.

Mrs Garside adds: “Our lifestyle has not changed significantly since we’ve started to save energy. We now simply switch off our gas boiler in the summer and use the immersion heater for hot water. We use energy saving light bulbs, switch off lights when not in the room and just think sensibly about when we need to use electricity".

A display meter shows the family how much electricity they have generated and how much carbon dioxide they have stopped being released into the atmosphere.

“It’s great to be able to see where your energy is coming from. I suppose it’s just about being more aware, and taking personal responsibility instead of relying on the government to solve everything – you can take power into your own hands!” said Mr Garside.