Testimonials
This section has the longer versions of testimonials that are available on the home page - detailed, real life examples in the words of the clients themselves.
Pat Hobbs
Hi John, a friend of mine , Fraser , recommended you when I was seeking help. As an ex De Montfort Lecturer myself your background provided reassurance.
I am in my 80s, live on my own and hadn’t got a clue where to begin with my tentative consideration of solar energy. I had recently bought a new house on a small estate in the county and wanted to future proof it as far as possible. I left a 1910 three storey house in
Leicester which although beautiful architecturally was not a house to grow old in. Built with a single skin of brick and in a Article 6 Conservation Area, it was cold , draughty and impossible to heat.
Needless to say, I picked a well insulated new property with a south facing back garden but knowing my income was relatively fixed I needed to manage my outgoings and ensure I could be comfortable in my new house and live warmly and sustainably. But where did I begin ?
You were able to ride to the rescue, visiting the house, designing the best scheme for me and putting me in touch with a trusted firm of solar panel experts. They were great, carefully installing the panels and fitting the controls in a cupboard inside the garage.
I later decided , with your help to expand my scheme to include batteries ,which the firm again placed unobtrusively in the cupboard.
I now benefit from free electricity and am absolutely delighted with the scheme which helps me and has reduced my usage of fossil fuel.
I was grateful to get your aftercare too, when I was confused about which tariff to go for and the settings needed.
I recommend you highly and I wish you well.
Lawrence Leger
I am very happy to write a reference for Dr Rowlatt and his new enterprise 'Homeenergy.doctor'. He was quick, knowledgeable and very helpful in proving all the information I needed to get started on solar panels, battery storage and solar boosted hot water.
The system he recommended as my surveyor suited my budget and provides all the electricity I need for about 9 months of the year, while being paid for returning energy to the grid. For the gloomy winter months, when the sun is absent, I make intense use of battery storage, charging overnight at a cheap rate and saving against the higher daytime rate by using the stored power.
I have not in any way regretted my decision to go for solar power."
Dr Andre Jesus
What do you love about your system that makes you happy about it?
I love that the system designed by Homeenergy.doctor [John Rowlatt] is optimised for its purpose. During winter on the shortest/darker days the net energy is close to zero; in other words, the energy generated is nearly the same as what is consumed. During summer I have surplus energy which is exported to the grid, and this results in a swift return on investment.
What were the benefits received from working with John as your designer/surveyor?
I had more than 10 solutions/quotes spread across 4 companies under consideration, and the advice and insights from John have been decisive to narrow down from all of these options. Besides offering advice tailored to my needs, based on my consumption, future needs, etc. Homeenergy.doctor [John] also took measurements of my roof dimensions, voltage of the supply, etc. during his visit. The result was a cost-effective solution optimised for my needs. Even the roof area where the solar array is installed is almost entirely occupied, indicating that the solution has been well designed/optimised. No other company took the extra step of visiting the house where the system was to be installed.
What problem did the system solve and how did John help you achieve that?
Although solar systems are getting cheaper I found that they can still be quite expensive, specially if including a battery. There is also a wide variety of solutions for different needs, and to help navigate this it's important to gather as much advice, in addition to conducting one own's independent research. Homeenergy.doctor [John]'s advice allowed me to have a system which gives me control over the energy that is used, and how it's generated, which results in a house that has more sustainability and less of a financial burden. I possess an EV, which further justified my transition to renewable/green energy.
As you can gather from the above I'm very happy with the system, although I'm always considering how to improve it further :-). As a reminder, at the moment I have a 5.8kWh battery to store energy, and gas is used for heating and hot water. Although I don't think it's possible to completely wipe out gas, I'm investigating the feasibility of using a hot water storage solution (possibly powered by a heat pump).
Dave & Lorna Newberry
Our Solar and Battery system has been in almost exactly a year now and has been working very well, one of the great benefits of the system is the Solax app which we have found to be very good as it allows us to see how much solar is being generated and where it is being distributed etc, as a result it has assisted us to be able to micro manage the household consumption throughput the day and also throughout the seasons.
The best thing for us about the system which of course you helped to specify for us, is that we are able to fully power our property along with two electric cars all on the cheaper night time 7p per kw tariff, which is a significant cost saving to our household energy costs.
Working with yourself, you were able to confirm that we could in fact get 6 x Solar panels on our roof, whereas Octopus were unable to install 4.
I think that we would now like to add some further panels on the rear of the property so that we can capture much more of the morning sunshine.
Rob Howes
When beginning my adventure into solar power I had many, many questions. Unlike some quotations that were only interested in the sale, John spent quite some time chatting with me explaining technical details and correcting me where I was mis-informed. This really helped me to get a grasp of what I was researching and gave me enough knowledge to continue informing myself of the technicalities surrounding solar power.
Retrospectively John really did provide me with the best advice for the system I should have installed, I did choose a slightly different path than he advised but have spent the last year reinstating his recommendation.
Adrian Goodman
What do you love about your system that makes you happy about it?
The smirk factor when the sun shines! - You can hear the Pound coins dropping back into your bank account from the sell back prices.
What were the benefits received from working with John as your designer/surveyor?
One stop shop - plain, logical, understandable, evidence based and very well explained.
What problem did the system solve and how did John help you achieve that?
Physical layout required some scaffolding ingenuity to achieve a safe working platform, and the installation team made short work of the improvements.
Just an update. Son says the best two decisions that I've made:
Solar Battery Installation
Ninja Air fryer.
George Sweatman
We were looking to reduce our dependence on the electric grid from both environmental and cost perspectives. John came highly recommended by a friend who had just had a PV system installed.
Following a site visit and discussions on our requirements John provided a detailed design and quote for a PV system with battery storage. This reflected the orientation of our house, roof slope and available roof area for the PV panels. During the quote stage John also helped resolve a number of technical issues particularly in respect of the connectivity between the panels and the size of battery storage.
Since our system was installed, John has contacted us to ensure there are no issues and we have recommended him to a number of friends. For information, our solar panel system was installed in July 2023 and to date has met all our expectations.
Simon Ferrigno
John Rowlatt's rooftop inspection was thorough, and his explanation of how solar would work, and the savings and earnings was clear.
He explained issues with shading very well, as well as talking about potential impacts of older windows and other things affecting energy efficiency.
It made deciding to go solar with battery storage easy, and the system is working well.
Frazer & Carolyn Robson
With our commitment to the environment, we had for some time considered the possibility of having solar panels. We were though unsure about the suitability of our house for panels and the costs involved. John helped us greatly with our deliberations.
He carried out a feasibility study which concluded that panels would work and set out how this could best be put into practice with a specification and associated costings. He was able to suggest a possible locally based provider and assisted in ensuring that the installation was carried out properly.
John helpfully provided financial information on pay back periods but from our perspective, our desire to install the panels related more to their environmental benefits. They also represent a sound investment in our property. Without John’s input, we would probably still be just talking about the possibility of installing panels!
Thank you John
John Loran
My solar system was installed 2 years ago and it’s working very well. I asked John Rowlatt to advise me on what to install. He analysed my house and my particular power usage and came up with a plan that was several thousand pounds cheaper than other quotes.
Rather than installing an expensive battery, my system automatically uses my hot water system to take any solar power not required elsewhere. Only in the depths of winter do I need to use my boiler to heat water. I also charge my electric car when the sun is shining.
John calculated that the pay-back time should be within 7 years and I have every confidence that he will be proved right.
Thank you John
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Stuart Dickerson
When I embarked on this process I thought the move to renewable heating/energy would be a well trodden path. However, throughout the process I have encountered conflicting advice and unexpected costs, at times I felt like a detective, sifting through the available information from many different sources and trying to build a coherent picture.
By far the best sources of information I encountered were John and the Renewable Energy hub, who, between them, were able to provide impartial advice on the whether a renewable system works for you (I never trust information unless I see pros and cons) and the detailed nuts and bolts information required (scaffolding height, fuse size etc).
My system is not yet up and running so I can’t comment. What I’d love to see in a resource is a flow chart/decision tree showing all the steps in the process with approximate timings, links, and costs. This would start with decisions planning etc right into operation and maintenance, a one stop shop. Also any information about grants and financial support available.
[A good suggestion, and one we will be looking at shortly - Dr. John]
Mike Ansell
Last February I contacted John who had a relationship as a surveyor with Renergy Solutions of Leicester and I also contacted two other companies for quotations.
John visited me and carefully investigated the options available. He was exceptionally thorough and explained the pros and cons of various different set ups.
I selected a comprehensive solar array, with inverter and batteries. In making my decision I found John’s predictions provided me with considerable information involving statistics relevant to my electric consumption.
After the first year I was pleased to see that the amount of power which the solar panels generated was as predicted, despite the poor weather which we experienced.
I found John very approachable. He quickly replied in detail and clearly answered my questions. At all times I felt that he was interested in finding solutions and explaining them to me. It was reassuring to have his advice in a specialist area where my knowledge was minimal.