An abiding memory of a day in August 2010, the first time my solar panels were connected to the grid, was of the builders downing tools and watching the electricity meter whiz round backwards.
It was a sunny day and they were supposed to be finishing the plastering and insulation, but the novel sight of the old-style electricity meter in reverse was too entertaining.
For the previous few months we had been refurbishing my new home, a 1930s bungalow, with some of the many “green” improvements that I had been recommending to Guardian readers during my 16 years as environment correspondent. Friends said I was “putting my money where my mouth had been”.
It proved more difficult than I imagined because there were so many options. In the end we settled first for super-thick insulation – three times the government recommended minimum – and a green roof over the flat roof extension for extra insulation. To add light to a dim…
