When Mr K from Dungannon reached out to First Class Solar in August 2024, he was searching for ways to lower his electricity bills and make his home more energy efficient. Just one year later, his solar PV and battery system has helped him save over £1,000, while also earning from the excess electricity sent back to the grid.
Here’s how First Class Solar helped Mr K design and install a high-performing solar system that delivers real results, and how you could do the same for your home or business.
From Enquiry to Installation
Customer “Mr K” contacted us directly on Facebook Messenger in August 2024, requesting more information on the price of a residential solar system. After a few questions and answers back and forth, a site visit to Mr K’s Dungannon home was arranged. Peter went out to the property to check over the roof, the roof-space where the inverter was to be installed, the location of the NIE meter as well as to discuss what would happen on install day. Peter also made sure to answer all of Mr K’s queries during the site visit.
Designing the Right System
Mr K was after the largest possible system on a single-phase, residential property. Due to NIE restrictions, a 3.6kWh inverter is the largest possible inverter size without going through an additional approvals process. Peter therefore recommended the Duracell Energy 3.6kWh inverter for Mr K, as this inverter could safely handle 9kWh worth of PV – this equated to 20 x 440W panels at the time. Luckily, the roof could fit these 20 panels perfectly, with 10 panels on the East-facing roof, and 10 on the West-facing.
The 20 solar panels were fitted by First Class Solar in September 2024, alongside a Hybrid Duracell Energy inverter – meaning that batteries could be added to the system later down the line without needing to change the inverter. Peter attended Mr K’s Dungannon property again and set up the solar WiFi monitoring app for him, as well as the export account with Power NI Renewables, which allowed Mr K to access payback for any excess electricity sent to the grid.
With 20 x 440W Panels and a 3.6kWh Duracell Energy Inverter, the 8.8kWh solar PV system in Dungannon was calculated to produce just over 6,000kWh of electricity per year – 6,094kWh to be precise!
Adding on Solar Batteries
A few weeks after the panels were installed, Mr K contacted us again regarding battery installation. He was already enjoying seeing how much electric his solar PV system was producing, and wanted to make the most of this self-generated electricity using batteries.
The batteries work by storing any excess electricity for later use, for example during his evening cooking, TV, washing etc. As he already had a Hybrid inverter, this was straightforward, and First Class Solar installed 2 x 5kWh Duracell Energy solar batteries. Peter also advised Mr K to contact his electricity provider and move over to the day/night tariff, as this would mean he could charge up the batteries overnight at a cheaper rate, which would be a massive benefit for the system in the lower-production winter months as well.
A One-Month Solar Snapshot
As you can see from the Duracell Energy app screenshot alongside, from 1st September 2025-1st October 2025, Mr K’s home used 137.3kWh of solar-produced electricity, with an additional 154.6kWh from his two batteries. He only needed to import 141.3kWh from the grid – meaning that over two thirds of the month’s electricity was self-generated and/or cheaper due to his solar batteries!
How is this Dungannon Solar PV System Performing?
Mr K got in touch with us again in early October 2025 to share how his solar panels in Dungannon had performed over their first full year of operation. Using his electricity bills from October 2024 to October 2025, he put together the following results.
Over that 12-month period, his total electricity costs came to just £421.36.
Before installing solar, his bills averaged around £100 per month, or £1,200 per year.
Have a look at the table below for a real-life summary of Mr K’s electric bills before and after solar:
And don’t forget the export!
In addition to the lower bills, Mr K also earned £310 in export payments for the excess electricity his system sent back to the grid.
✅ Total savings in the first year: £1,088.64
Mr K had this to say: “Really happy with how it turned out so far! Feel free to share.
Thank you!”
That’s over £1,000 saved in just 12 months – proof that investing in solar panels in Dungannon, Northern Ireland can make a real difference to household running costs. If you’re considering solar PV for your home, get in touch with First Class Solar for a free assessment and personalised savings estimate.
