Solar, Heat Pump & Battery Storage: Matt’s Eco-System
Read how Matt’s heat pump installation went, implementing a system including solar and battery storage too.
Summary
11 Solar PV Panels
10kWh Battery
8kW Vaillant Air Source Heat Pump
The Home:
- House Type: Semi-detached 1930s house
- No. Of bedrooms: 4 bedrooms
- Location: Bristol
‘Our home has consistent heat all the time. When the boiler used to come on in the morning, the pipes clicking would wake me up. But now the radiators are just a nice, even temperature. And the house just feels comfortable all the time.’
– Matt, on having an air source heat pump.
Overview
Matt’s house is a great example of the ‘insulate, heat, generate’ principle. Starting first with external wall insulation, Matt ensured his house would retain the heat made by a heat pump installed later down the line, subsequently installing solar panels to make financial savings. Here’s how Matt got on after solar panels and an air source heat pump were installed in March 2025.
The first steps
Read more about Matt’s previous external wall insulation journey here!
Read Previous Case Study
Heat Pump Assessment
The heat pump assessment and design survey was conducted by Rickman Heat before the heat pump installation. Matt also conducted an air pressure test to ensure the heat-loss calculation was correct, not just based on assumptions about the age and style of the property.
Solutions
- 11 solar panels, 5kW at peak – installed by Green Team One
- 10kWh battery storage
- 8kW Vaillant air source heat pump unit – installed by Rickman Heat
- Most of the radiators replaced by double-panel units
Results
The heat pump is not noisy; Matt’s never heard the heat pump running. It’s tucked away in a ventilated spot in their garden – and you wouldn’t know it was there!
Matt says they’ve never run out of hot water – and not had to change their habits to accommodate the new heating system. Before, they had a combi-boiler and now they’ve got a hot water tank. Which has given him a warm airing cupboard to dry clothes within. Hot water is consistently available, and it’s better than what they had before from Matt’s perspective.
The hot water tank is also so well insulated – Rickman Heat went ‘above and beyond’ with the insulation to maximise the heat retention in the pipes.
‘I’ve just set it up and forgotten about it, it just works.’
– Matt, on having an air source heat pump.
After heat pump installation
Once it was installed, Matt tested running the heat pump through March 2025, during a cold snap, and they noticed it was actually too hot in the house. Their heat pump was designed to give about 21°C in the house, but they knocked it down to 19°C to be more comfortable. They then stopped heating over the summer, going back to hot water only and running it for 1 hour per day.
Tariffs and Funding for heat pump installations
Flexible tariffs are recommended when running a heat pump. Matt chooses the summer ‘Octopus Flux’ tariff which is designed for people with solar and batteries – you effectively buy the cheaper electricity overnight and store it, then export it back to the grid in times of high demand. Especially combined with the high solar production on their panels during the summer, in three months Matt earned £220.
In the wintertime, Matt uses Octopus’ Cosy tariff to take advantage of the cheaper periods to charge the battery for their electricity use throughout the day and night – which keeps the heat pump running constantly to be most efficient.
Getting a battery to control when and how much you get your electricity for has given Matt the freedom to run his heat pump most efficiently.
From Matt’s estimation, considering the amount of money they’d made from selling the solar-produced electricity, they’d only spent £100 on energy so far this year (Jan – Oct 2025). He estimates spending about £250 for the whole year as we go into the colder months.
After the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant (£7500), the heat pump cost Matt £10,000. They went with this price as the design of the heat pump installation was the most effective and considered the specific heat loss information Matt had of his home. Read more about grants and funding for your home here.
What’s next for Matt? Matt and family are currently enjoying the heating and generating systems they’ve installed, and looking forward to living in a warm, comfortable home which doesn’t cost the earth.
