Stephen and Zoe had MCS certified solar panels and a battery storage system installed at their Telford home in March 2023 by Craig Michael Renewables, an MCS certified solar PV and battery storage installer based in the West Midlands1. MCS published a case study on the installation on 23 September 2023 and followed it with a homeowner interview on 10 April 2024, one year after the work1.
The household reports that the two systems have provided around two-thirds of its electricity, and that surplus generation, including power stored in the battery, has been sold back to the national grid through its supplier1. In the first six months the system generated around 3,000 kWh, which the homeowner says was more than the household uses in an entire year1. Across spring and summer, the battery met all of the home's overnight demand apart from a handful of days1.
Generation fell in the colder months. The homeowner reports making about a third as much solar power as in the sunnier months, but still generating over half of what the household needed, and at times selling extra electricity back to the grid1. The account describes holding off running the washing machine when battery charge is around 15 per cent or less and the weather is sunny, and avoiding high-power appliances at the same time1.
The installation followed a full home survey and a discussion of which technologies suited the property; work began three months later and was completed within a few days1. The homeowner used the MCS Find an Installer tool to search for certified installers and obtained several quotes2.
"We wanted to 'grow' our own energy, partly to cut down on our energy bills but also to show our grandchildren that we're doing our bit for the planet"
Craig Michael Renewables became MCS certified for both solar PV and battery storage. Its founder, Craig Haycock, previously ran his own business as an electrical engineer for 13 years before enrolling on a solar PV course2.
"We chose to become MCS certified for both solar PV and battery storage installations, knowing that MCS certification, as a mark of quality, would provide assurance to our customers and ultimately strengthen our business' reputation."
Why it matters for households
The account sets out what a domestic solar and battery system delivered in one home over a year, rather than what any household should expect. The reported split is seasonal: near-total self-supply in spring and summer, and over half of demand met in the colder months, when output fell to roughly a third of the sunnier-month figure1. For a home's energy independence, the battery is the part that shifts consumption away from the grid at night, and the reported overnight coverage in the warmer months is the clearest illustration of that1.
The homeowner also reports payments for exported electricity, which requires an arrangement with a supplier1. MCS certification is the scheme the account ties to installation quality and consumer assurance; the homeowner says he did not consider anyone who was not MCS certified2. Details of the system's capacity, cost, tariff and export rates are not reported in either account.
What happens next
No further steps are dated in the accounts. The homeowner refers to new electricity tariffs that are set to be introduced, under which power could be sold when prices are high and the battery charged when rates are lower, but no date or scheme is named1.
Sources2 cited
- A homeowners experience of solar panels and battery storage - MCS, mcscertified.com
- Solar Success in the West Midlands - MCS, mcscertified.com