The Cut: Solar panels will keep your home cool for free

• Solar panels are the best weapon we have against heatwaves and can power air conditioners for five hours
• Will Andy Burnham make sure the government continues to support clean energy?
• Most Brits think high energy costs are here to stay

It’s been a strange week. Most of the time you’d expect the prime minister resigning to be the biggest story, but since Monday the thing on everybody’s minds has been the weather and the record-breaking heatwave. 

Which households are finding it easiest to stay cool? Those with solar panels and heat pumps. Industry leaders Ember say that households with rooftop solar are powering the equivalent five hours of air conditioning a day, all for free. 

On the 21st and 22nd June, a typical UK rooftop solar installation generated about 15 megawatt hours (MWh) of solar energy, which is the same as powering an air conditioner for five hours. 

But you’re probably wondering, why? What’s the link between solar panels and air conditioners? Not only can solar power an air conditioner but crucially they have the same seasonal cycles. That means they’re put to work at the same time. During heatwaves the supply of solar energy is at its highest, while demand for air conditioning also peaks.   

That’s useful because the Met Office has issued several Red Extreme Heat Warnings this week. Quite simply the best way to beat the heat is to use the very thing that makes life almost unbearably hot. 

The other big question we’re asking, aside from ‘how do I stay cool?’ is ‘will the government keep supporting solar after Sir Keir Starmer?’

We think the answer is yes because his likely successor, Andy Burnham, has a solid track record of supporting clean energy. He oversaw the Solar Together Greater Manchester project as mayor and has launched big projects to make the city of Manchester climate neutral ahead of the UK budget. 

We talk a lot about energy bills, as we should, but this week has pushed that other major passion of ours, fighting climate change, to the front of everyone’s minds. Rightfully so. We launched The Eco Experts in 2009 with the goal of helping households understand how energy can be cleaner and cheaper through solar and electrification. 

While we often frame our content from the angle of saving money, we can’t do that without recognising that climate change is the biggest challenge our society faces and right now we can’t say for sure that it’s a fight we’re winning, as shown by temperatures of 35C plus are likely to be the norm in the future. We hope that whoever is the next occupant of Number 10 sees how only clean energy can fight climate change and high prices. 

Feeling the heat? Use solar power to cool your home

Research from Ember says that solar panels can power air conditioners for five hours. That’s five hours of keeping your home cool for free. That’s because solar panels and air conditioners peak at the same time, with panels providing the supply of energy and air conditioners the demand for cool air.

Will the next PM back clean energy?

It will probably be Andy Burnham, at least that’s how it looks, and we’re happy to say he has a solid record when it comes to backing solar as both an MP and as Mayor of Greater Manchester. He’ll naturally be under pressure to bring down bills and we hope he stays with the present government’s renewable strategy to do so and doesn’t get any terrible ideas, such as drilling in the North Sea for a few drops of oil. 

Octopus Energy launches Nook battery range to cut energy bills

The UK’s largest energy provider has launched a plug-in battery designed for renters, as well as a wall-mounted, engineer installed system for homeowners. They say the battery set makes energy storage within reach for ten million renting households, demand for which has boomed since the beginning of the US-Iran war and ballooning gas prices. 

Brits think high energy prices are here to stay

About two-thirds of people in the UK think high energy prices aren’t going away any time soon…and they’re probably right. On top of that 63% say higher prices are already having an effect on their lives. This is according to data from the ECIU. There is good news, though: 58% of people with heat pumps say it has protected them from higher energy prices. 

Number of the week

5 hours.

That’s how long you can power an air conditioner with solar (completely free) power during a heat wave.

Sources

• https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/news/octopus-energy-nook
• https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/energy-crisis-brits-think-high-prices-here-to-stay-and-heat-pumps-evs-route-to-energy-independence
• https://ember-energy.org/latest-updates/as-an-extreme-heatwave-hits-uk-homes-with-solar-panels-power-equivalent-of-five-hours-of-free-daily-air-con-use/

Written By

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger Deputy editor

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024 and became deputy editor in 2025. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

He has represented The Eco Experts on national television several times, including the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live and ITV Tonight .

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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Will Georgiadis

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