Walking into the Merrill's family home in Somerset, it all seems very normal.

The only evidence that the Merrill's home is powered by C21 e solar tiles is the small display unit on the kitchen table showing how much energy is being generated.

"It's hard to remember the solar tiles are there sometimes" says Dad, David Merrill. "But it's a great feeling to know that we're generating our own power."

When David had the home re-valued after the solar installation he was pleased to find it had increased in value by 6% because of the tiles alone.

Bob and Helen Hughes bought their 18th century Georgian house in 2007 and spent a year on renovations.

Being keen to minimise both energy usage and bills, they installed loft, underfloor and wall insulation as well as double glazing.

To reduce the need for increasingly expensive electricity from the grid, the Hughes chose to re-roof their home with 36 C21e solar electric roof tiles. Producing 1,500 kWh per year, the system provides a large element of the home's electrical needs, saving 850kg of CO₂ emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

Bob comments: "Why wouldn't you install solar electric roof tiles? It's an environmentally sound and economically efficient thing to do. As we were spending on renovation anyway, we realised the cost of the solar was comparable to other home improvements.

He adds: "We're really happy to have installed the tiles and feel they add to the appearance of the house. We really want to inspire others to do the same."