A south-west roof on a 1970s bungalow, now covering the school run, the dishwasher and most of the evening.
The brief
Two working parents, a heat pump on order and a roof that faces the afternoon sun rather than noon.
What we fitted
Thirteen 400 W all-black panels, a hybrid inverter and a 5.2 kWh battery in the utility room, fitted in a single day.
Twelve months on
4,680 kWh generated, grid imports down by more than half and the battery empty by bedtime most nights.
Field plate · STC
Pmax · rated output
5.2
kWp
Panels
13 × 400 W
Battery
5.2 kWh
Yield / yr
4,680 kWh
Payback
7.9 yrs
CO₂ saved
1.5 t/yr
Roof
Pitched
Switched on
May 14, 2025
Want a plate like this for your roof?
17:05
On the roof
18:30
In their words
We asked for the evening, not a bigger bill. The battery runs the dishwasher and the school-night dinners, and the meter barely moves after six.
Niamh Walsh
Carrigaline