Before buying
Test whether the property can support the intended lifestyle and understand the likely energy-infrastructure cost before exchange.
Independent off-grid energy consultant · UK
Design the energy system around the life it must support.
For rural homes, self-builds, barn conversions and estates facing an expensive, constrained or unavailable grid connection. I model the whole property through the year, then establish the right mix of solar, wind, storage, heating and backup.
Off-grid is not a solar panel calculation.
A reliable system begins with the building and the people who will live in it. Fabric, heating, hot water, daily consumption, simultaneous loads and expectations of comfort all affect the design.
Generation must then be assessed honestly. Solar can be highly effective, but UK winter yield is limited. Wind can strengthen the seasonal mix on the right exposed site, yet it performs poorly where turbulence, planning, access or inadequate hub height are ignored.
The design must survive consecutive poor-weather days and high winter demand without forcing the owner to manage a fragile science project. That requires the battery, inverters, controls and backup source to be considered together.
Experience that can be examined
Engineering judgement backed by 127 real systems.
I designed every system represented in a private monitored portfolio of 127 installations. These include off-grid homes and commercial systems. In the 2025 export, 100 sites with solar data recorded a combined 485 MWh of solar energy. The evidence is anonymised, but the engineering lessons are applied directly.
Recorded solar energy is the sum of PV supplied directly to loads, sent to batteries and exported. The total is rounded from 485,471.51 kWh. Missing values were not estimated, and the recorded total is not a measure of uncurtailed generation potential.
When to involve me
Before planning is fixed
Protect useful roof area, turbine options, plant space, cable routes, generator access and room for future change.
Before accepting a quote
Check whether a proposal is complete, sensibly sized and based on credible winter and peak-load assumptions.
Independent by design
I do not sell solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, generators or installation work.
My role is to establish what the project needs and produce a coherent strategy for the client, architect, heating designer, electrician and specialist installers. Recommendations are not shaped by stock, manufacturer incentives or installation margin.
Questions worth resolving early
Off-grid energy consultancy: frequently asked questions.
Can a UK home operate completely off-grid?
Yes, but reliability depends on disciplined demand assessment, realistic winter modelling and a credible backup strategy. The right answer may be fully off-grid, hybrid or a constrained grid connection. I compare those routes before recommending one.
Should an off-grid home use wind as well as solar?
Sometimes. A well-sited turbine can complement solar because wind output may be stronger in darker months. But a poor wind site adds cost, planning and maintenance without enough generation. Exposure, hub height, turbulence, access and measured or modelled resource all matter.
How much battery storage is enough?
There is no responsible rule of thumb. Battery capacity must be assessed alongside daily demand, peak power, renewable input, allowable depth of discharge, consecutive low-generation days and the role of backup generation.
Why not accept an installer's free design?
An installer can be excellent at delivering equipment, but the proposal is normally constrained by the products and work they sell. Independent strategy establishes what the property needs first, so the resulting brief can be understood and priced by the right specialists.
When should I involve an energy consultant?
Ideally before planning, roof geometry, heating and plant space are fixed. Early work can protect better options. A review can still add value before accepting quotations or when separate designs are no longer joining up.
Do you supply or install equipment?
No. I provide independent feasibility, modelling, strategy and technical guidance. I do not earn product commission or installation margin.
A practical first step
Begin with the decision, not the equipment.
Send the location, property type, available plans and any grid quotation or known site constraints. I will tell you whether an independent review is likely to add value.
Discuss your project