What would you do if your EPC rating was an “F”? This was the exact problem Gary Swandells faced, after purchasing his new property during lockdown. However, as a professional within the energy industry, he only saw this as a welcomed challenge. That’s how the Home Energy Lab project (Aka HELp) was born.
The Home Energy Lab Project
Last year, Gary along with his family moved into a large 5 bed home in the tiny village of Ickwell. Despite the house having double-glazed windows and full insulation, the EPC rating was an appalling “F”. With his partner having to wear layers of sweatshirts everyday, Gary saw an opportunity.
With 25 radiators, and over 30 windows in the property, the road ahead was never going to be simple, or cheap. But for his family, just a 3 or 4 degree increase would be a huge win. The initial aim of the project was to see how much he could increase the EPC rating by. Aiming for a middle range C. Then to share this experience with other households, offering free and independent advice which he found all too lacking when he started his own research.
The Dexter's Laboratory Of Renewable Energy
Gary hopes that HELp will be a place of innovation. The guinea pig of smart technology. He wants HELp to be a safe place to test new products and emerging technologies. Constantly putting new things in and taking others out. And that’s why it is a Lab. It’s never going to be finished. It’s a place for experimenting and creativity.
Gary hopes the project will showcase the impact renewable energy can have in the home place. He wants to show home owners how simple the process can be, when the right organisations are chosen. Making it easier for home owners to understand the technologies and to make change.
“I want to be the glue that starts joining up these different technologies together. To help people understand them. And to guide those who are not in the position to take on all these technologies at once to know which they should prioritise for themselves. Which will have the biggest benefits.”
Who is Gary Swandells
Gary entered the energy industry 16 years ago. He is used to developing smart grids and working with distribution networks giving him a strong background in commercial energy. Now he wants to expand and share his knowledge in the domestic sector. Withering down the bad advice and confusing government incentives, while weeding out the cowboys.
” There is no advice out there for implementing various technologies together. How does solar interact with under floor heating or an air source heat pump? I struggled to get my head around it. There had to be an opportunity here, to give back advice.”
How Does Deege Solar Fit In
Gary Swandells originally came through to us just like any other lead. But we soon realised that there was more to this project than we initially thought. For Gary it was a no brainer to include solar energy in his project.
“The property has a big roof, and solar is relatively low risk. The technology has matured in terms of domestics. So it just made sense. There are a few dark clouds over the solar industry, but I would like to use this platform to help those who are more trustworthy.”
However, he soon found the internet was full of bad advice, if any. Trying to search through the Green Home Grant, he quickly realised that any recommended installer through the grant had no reviews.
“I was amazed that none of the approved installers had a single review from a happy customer, not one. All the alarm bells started to go. So I started to search for myself. To test the market, and to see what the experience was like for a customer. And that’s where I found Deege Solar. An Affordably priced, small independent, well-marketed business. I included them as one of the many companies that I got a quote from and following extensive comparative analysis they came out as the preferred provider and installer.“
What Deege Solar Are Installing
After an initial consultation with Gary we designed a Solar PV System fit for purpose, utilising the size of his roof. The installation includes a high spec mono panel, with matching black coated mounting. For the neatest looking install possible. The Growatt 13kWh of Battery Storage will provide Gary with maximum storage, whilst their in depth software will provide him with the data he requires to test the system and develop performance analysis. Perfect for both studying and experimenting.
As the installation covers 3 different arrays, having power optimisers on the solar panels was vital, as it meant that the panels could generate independently throughout the day. As well as allowing Gary to gain more data and analytics to study. While Gary was aware of the need for these in a multi aspect installation, he found that the majority of the potential providers included in the invitation to quote failed to consider this, even as an optional extra.
Myenergi’s Electric Vehicle Charger, the Zappi was then a no brainer. Gary found after extensive research on the landscape of the current EV market, that the Zappi’s level of control and data on offer was beyond compare. The way it compliments Solar means that it was an easy decision and with Deege Solar being able to supply and install both the Solar PV System and EV Charger brought in the added convenience of a one stop shop.
“We knew Gary would want an industry leading install, so that’s exactly what we gave him. The best of the best.” David Norman, Managing Director of Deege Solar.
- A 7.6kW Solar PV System.
- 20 380W JA Solar Panels.
- 20 Tigo Panel Optimisers. With Tigo Cloud Monitoring For Performance Independance.
- A 6kW Growatt SPH6000 Hybrid Inverter.
- x 2 Growatt 6.5kWh Batteries.
- An Estron G100 Smart Meter.
- A Growatt ATS Switch For EPS.
- A Zappi EV Charger & Hub to complement his brand new 2021 Porsche Taycan.
The Overall "HELp" Plan
- A Hybrid Air Source Heat Pump Installed By PassivSystems.
- Hydro Genie enhanced heat transfer modifier.
- An All Electric Porsche Taycan.
- A Zappi EV Charger By Myenergi Installed By Deege Solar.
Gary wanted to make sure the property was future proofed. Working together with the best organisations in their field to put together the perfect home energy system. That could then be showcased to the world as an example of how impactful modern technology truly is.
The Outcome Of The HELp Project
Gary intends to use the LAB to develop a smart hub for advice and as a trust mark for proven technology and tradespeople. You can think of it like a Trip Advisor resource on the web, which will have advice and recommendations around customer experience, suppliers and products. Customers will also be able to add information regarding their own experiences, to piece together a reliable picture. In addition, the website and social media accounts for HELp will incorporate advice and editorials from leading organisations.
Gary is also keen to overlap this with his existing Smart Consulting business and develop AI software to help customers manage their systems. Using all the available data alongside weather forecasts, wholesale energy prices and electric vehicle battery charge status to optimise the performance of their investment in low carbon technologies.
“We are a long way from it, but a system which will balance the temperature of a house, how much water is being used, that’s the future of home energy.”
