If you have spent some time on the internet researching things to do with renewables in a domestic setting, you might have come across this blog: www.energy-stats.uk

In it the author takes you on a journey of discovery as he installs solar, then batteries, then a Mixergy hot water tank (in a purpose build plant room!), and most recently a heat pump.

The author has totally weened himself off gas at home and tries to generate as much of his own electricity as possible.

A few things struck me recently about his blog.

1. How we cannot predict the future. Writing in April 2020, the author was making payback calculations for his battery storage, using prices of 15-20 pence per kWh. Several years later, we can only now dream of prices as low as 20 pence per kWh.
   • So one way of looking at this conundrum might be to not so much think in terms of payback, but rather look at it as insurance. Having a solar and battery set up is insurance against rising or volatile prices.
   • Ripple Energy make this argument as a reason to buy into their wind & solar farms – you are stabilising your energy bills, reducing the impact of future price rises. I write about this idea in more detail in this “Financial Independence” post.
2. Lifestyle. For many folk, this isn’t a simple cost-benefit equation. For many it is about ‘doing their bit’ to reduce their impact on the environment, to reduce their carbon footprint. One of the reasons that the blogger went for battery storage was to be able to use more of the solar power that his solar array created. He noted that in 2019, he exported 70% of his electricity, and was only able to consume 30% himself. So having made the solar investment, the batteries were a logical next step.
3. Data. There are many people who love data. And for those of you who don’t love data, you are probably re-assured to know that the data lovers out there are happy to blog honestly about their own experiences with this equipment, sharing their conclusions with you.

Like most people, I don’t pretend to know what “Hetzner Cloud virtual machines running Ubuntu OS” really means.

What Brimstone Energy does is to scour the market for the best available experts and trends, and bring them together in an easy to understand way for you, our customer. We understand the benefits of all the available technologies and how they can improve people’s lives – and we are passionate about sharing this knowledge with you.

Brimstone Energy – Helping you navigate the Green Energy Transition

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