Andrew is a professional plumber in Yorkshire. He lives with his wife and two kids, and the cost of heating and hot water for the family adds up quickly.
With a south-facing roof on his house, Andrew decided to take advantage of solar energy to heat water for his household.
Installing a solar water heating system
Andrew's solar hot water system consists of a small solar panel attached to the roof, with water pipes running through it. Energy from the sun heats the water that the family uses day to day.
With his plumbing expertise Andrew had no trouble installing the system himself, which kept costs down to £1,000. "The hardest part of the whole project was putting up the scaffolding!" he says.
The benefits: hot water for the whole family
Even in often-overcast Yorkshire, there's plenty of light to heat water. In the summer, Andrew and his family get nearly all their hot water from solar energy. In spring and autumn, solar heating provides about half of the hot water they need.
With the family hot water bill cut by 50%, Andrew estimates that by 2010 the system will have paid for itself.
The verdict: "It's easy to be Green"
Andrew says his solar hot water system has proven reliable and efficient. He's keen carry on the eco-friendly home improvements, and is already working on system for capturing rain water.
"I urge anyone who wants to install a solar thermal system to just go and do it," he says.
It's packed with:
