by Catie Owen | Nov 26, 2024 | Innovation, Video
Solar&StorageXtra talked to Iain McNeil, Operations Director at connection provider Dunamis, at the Birmingham edition of Solar & Storage Live.
Iain shared the latest news from Dunamis, the company’s history, and discussed the aspects that make the provider stand out most.
Interview with Iain McNeil, Operations Director at Dunamis
“We aim to provide a seamless transition from project conception all the way through to building the substation, and then final energisation.”
Xtra: Can you talk to us about Dunamis’ mission?
Iain: Dunamis is an Independent Connection Provider. We operate within the renewable industry as abbreviated to ICP.
We offer a design-and-build service up to 132kV as a high-voltage specialist, supporting a lot of the organisations that are here today.
(From) developers, clients – we’re providing a network connection to the installation that they may be building on development to the local network. That includes design through to building the substation.
We aim to provide a seamless transition from project conception through to building the substation, and then final energisation. (To do that) we negotiate throughout with the network operator, or local network operator – or DNO.
Xtra: What makes Dunamis different from other connection providers?
Iain: We’re a long-established ICP. Dunamis has been in the industry for several years. We’ve got many experienced staff, from designers to project managers, who’ve worked in the industry for years (also).
As well as Dunamis being a management company we also have a sister company, Maintech, here exhibiting on the stand today with us.
They offer the full electrical installation side of things, so we can offer a full package: design, build, and we complete all the electrical installation works.
And with the private network side of things, if there is a private network attached to the adopted network, we can also, through Maintech, offer operations and maintenance.
Over the years, we’ve developed over 200 projects or schemes that are energised.
Xtra: Why is attending Solar & Storage Live important for Dunamis?
Iain: For Dunamis, this event is probably one of the most significant in the calendar within the renewable industry. There are a lot of different organisations here, and it’s about having that presence in the market.
We do get the value from being here and exhibiting.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the London edition from 2-3 April 2025 – or find a Solar & Storage Live event closer to home.
by Catie Owen | Nov 21, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At Solar & Storage Live in Birmingham, Solar&StorageXtra spoke with John Behan, Co-Founder & CEO, AMPYR Distributed Energy.
John described ADE’s sponsorship of the show’s buzzing C&I Theatre, the importance of customers for everyone in the solar supply chain, and his presentation on the distributed energy market.
Interview with John Behan, Co-Founder & CEO of AMPYR Distributed Energy
“We believe the distributed energy market will be one of the highest-growth areas this decade. that’s why we founded ADE – to capitalise on this trend.”
Xtra: Can you explain AMPYR Distributed Energy (ADE)’s mission in the industry?
John: At ADE, our mission is to simplify net zero for business customers.
What does that mean? We deliver fully funded, turnkey on-site solutions that provide green, reliable power at a lower cost, exactly where it’s needed.
This allows business customers to focus on their business while achieving their net zero goals.
Xtra: Can you talk about ADE’s sponsorship of the C&I Theatre at Solar & Storage Live?
John: The C&I sector is at least 10 to 15 years old, but over the past few years, the focus has shifted to utility-scale solar and storage – which has seen a big growth spurt.
However, the C&I sector is now gaining more popularity. Branding this theatre, and showing it’s our market, was a great opportunity to position ourselves as leaders in the C&I space.
Xtra: What conversations are you hoping to have at the show?
John: Our business model at ADE is volume-focused. As a funder, we work with great local partners – from development to construction and operations – to help deliver our business plan.
We’re here to meet new partners who can help us achieve this, as well as speak to many of our existing partners and, of course, customers.
These customers are the ones who ultimately use our product, and who fund assets directly on-site. Notably, there’s been an increase in the number of customers in recent years at this event as well.
Xtra: Can you identify any issues or trends in the solar and storage industry, and how they might evolve?
John: As I mentioned, the utility-scale market has experienced robust growth over the last several years.
I recently gave a presentation on the distributed energy market, which refers to renewable assets located on-site and linked directly to customers behind the meter.
At ADE, we believe the distributed energy market will be one of the highest-growth areas this decade. that’s why we founded ADE – to capitalise on this trend.
Xtra: What benefits can companies and visitors gain from attending Solar & Storage Live?
John: This isn’t just the largest event in the UK – it’s likely one of the biggest in Europe, and it continues to grow every year.
I think it’s a great opportunity to hear fantastic speakers, to attend educational talks, and it’s full of exhibitors – so you can see a lot by just attending (the show).
For businesses, what’s particularly valuable is the chance to meet many new and existing clients. It’s an efficient way to connect with a lot of people and get a lot of work done in a short amount of time.
Plus, there’s always a bit of fun and socialising to enjoy as well!
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the London edition from 2-3 April 2025 – or find a Solar & Storage Live event closer to home.
by Catie Owen | Nov 19, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At September’s Solar & Storage Live in Zurich, Solar&StorageXtra had the opportunity to talk to Carmen Madrid, Founder of Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) and Founding Director of Circular Synergies.
Carmen discussed WiSEu’s mission and work in the renewable energy sector, the initiative’s new mentoring platform, and the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment for all employees.
WiSEu’s strides were evident again at Solar & Storage Live in Barcelona (13-14 November), where members and allies again came out in full force to network and catch up.
Interview with Carmen Madrid, Founder of Women in Solar Europe
“For some, DEI naturally feels like the right thing to do, but for those more focused on business outcomes, it’s important to show the rewards of making an effort.”
Xtra: What is WiSEu’s mission in the industry?
Carmen: We are a network of women – a network for the professional development of women in the solar energy, storage, and EV charging industries. We aim to bring women together, not just to network, but also to guide them through leadership topics.
Contrary to what some might think, the network is not about criticising. It’s about understanding our realities, which are often shaped by cultural backgrounds, and helping to create a new future for the solar and energy industry.
We run workshops, host webinars online, and will soon launch our mentoring program – or rather, a mentoring platform.
Xtra: Has WiSEu shared any announcements (in Zurich)?
Carmen: We have announced the launch of our mentoring platform, which will allow women in the industry across Europe to connect with mentors and mentees anytime. It will let them find matches by fields of activity or specific topics they want to improve in.
Mentoring can be difficult for women to access for a simple reason: there are fewer women in leadership roles, which reduces the pool of potential mentors. Male mentors, meanwhile, are often more inclined to mentor other men.
There’s a lot of data supporting this – people tend to mentor like-minded individuals, which creates barriers for women. This is what we hope to address and resolve with our Women in Solar Europe mentoring platform.
Xtra: Can you talk to us about both your panel session and the WiSEu meetup?
Carmen: Today, at Solar & Storage Live Zurich, we were thrilled to host a panel discussing the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Often, it’s women talking about these issues, but there’s a strong business case for DEI. Reports from McKinsey, EY, and the big four (organisations) show that companies with more diverse workforces and more women in leadership positions perform better financially.
For some, DEI naturally feels like the right thing to do, but for those more focused on business outcomes, it’s important to show the rewards of making an effort.
Industry leaders need to understand the significant benefits for their businesses when they embrace DEI.
Xtra: How can solar businesses investing in DEI develop inclusive leadership?
Carmen: There are many ways companies can implement DEI policies and activities. However, one major challenge, as highlighted by the EY index, is that leaders often believe their companies are better at DEI than they actually are. This is why leaders must take responsibility.
Everyone in the organisation is responsible for creating a psychologically safe environment, but that is key to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Psychological safety allows everyone to feel secure in expressing their ideas without fear of judgment. This starts with awareness of biases. Bias is natural – our brains use shortcuts to make quick decisions – but these shortcuts can lead to stereotypes.
Companies need to provide training to help employees identify and overcome biases. Everyone in the organisation, regardless of their level, is responsible for contributing to a psychologically safe environment, but leaders must lead by example.
Xtra: How can businesses in the solar industry learn how to make inclusive environments?
Carmen: For smaller businesses, especially in the solar industry where many companies have fewer than 50 employees, a good starting point is implementing existing DEI policies that provide guidance.
Another important element is to join networks like Women in Solar Europe. These networks ensure that women, even if they don’t find the support they need within their organisations, can access the resources and sense of belonging they need to thrive.
Even if a company is not yet perfect in its DEI efforts, demonstrating a willingness to improve is critical. There is support available from associations and networks to you get there.
Xtra: What are the benefits of attending Solar & Storage Live in Zurich?
Carmen: The benefits of attending Solar & Storage Live go beyond learning about the latest industry trends in technology and project development. A key ingredient is networking.
What I appreciate about this event is the growing effort in networking. Bringing thousands of people together is great, but the focus on one-on-one and smaller group interactions adds real value.
For example, through the Women in Solar Europe network, we’ve hosted meetups here, which have been incredibly helpful.
This event is unique because it combines technology showcases, industry trends, and excellent networking opportunities through the app and dedicated spaces.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the London edition from 2-3 April 2025.
by Catie Owen | Nov 8, 2024 | Everything Installer, Video
At Solar & Storage Live UK, Solar&StorageXtra caught up with Craig Bilboe of EcoFlow.
Craig talked to Xtra about the industry challenges EcoFlow is currently tackling, market barriers, the evolution of the solar industry over the next decade, and the company’s PowerOcean Single Phase product.
Interview with Craig Bilboe, Head of UK & Ireland Business Development, EcoFlow
“People will want connected homes, where they can control everything within their home and stay linked to the renewable energy solutions that we offer.”
Xtra: Can you explain EcoFlow’s mission in the industry?
Craig: EcoFlow started in 2017 with a mission to power a new world. Our goal is to enable people to have energy in areas and situations that historically haven’t had access to power.
We began with portable power stations and have since expanded into home energy storage. Our focus is on making renewable energy accessible to all.
Xtra: Can you identify any issues in the solar and storage industry, and any solutions to them?
Craig: Currently, there are many challenges in the industry at the moment, including PAS guidelines and best practices. At EcoFlow, we see this as a positive.
There are lots of new regulations in regard to how we approach energy solutions within homes, including battery positioning, handling, and installation.
This can be one of the biggest barriers in the market right now, but EcoFlow is committed to helping installers by offering products that meet these guidelines and best practices.
Xtra: How do you see the industry changing in the next decade?
Craig: We believe the industry is heading towards better products and more demand from consumers for enabled products.
The smart home ecosystem is going to be important. What we mean by that is people will want connected homes, where they can control everything within their home and stay linked to the renewable energy solutions that we offer.
Xtra: Talk to us about the products you’re showing at Solar & Storage Live.
Craig: The PowerOcean Single Phase is our showcased product here at Solar & Storage Live. For installers, it complies with PAS guidelines and includes features like auto-heating, fire suppression, and an IP65 rating.
For homeowners, it supports a connected home ecosystem, integrating with other devices like Google’s smart thermostats and Matter-enabled devices, allowing consumers to connect to a wide range of home energy management options.
Xtra: What benefits can companies and visitors gain from attending Solar & Storage Live?
Craig: When attending Solar & Storage Live, you’ll have the chance to meet policymakers, manufacturers like us, and other industry experts.
It’s a great opportunity to see the latest technology and market trends over the next few years, whether you’re a homeowner and end user wanting to explore available tech or an installer looking to see what products you can offer customers in future.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Nov 5, 2024 | Everything Installer, Video
At Solar & Storage Live in Zürich, held in September, Solar&StorageXtra spoke to Matthias Egli, Managing Director for Swissolar.
Matthias shed some light on the most prominent solar installations in Switzerland, how the country is looking to expand its projects, Switzerland’s progress towards its energy goals, and the benefits of attending international Solar & Storage Live events.
Interview with Matthias Egli, Managing Director for Swissolar
“In Switzerland, most solar installations are built on roofs or facades which is unlike anywhere else in the world… we’re starting to explore large-scale installations like Alpine PV, which is better for winter production.”
Xtra: Talk to us about Swissolar’s mission, and any achievements over the last year.
Matthias: Our mission is essentially to get the energy transition done. We believe that, by 2050, we believe that 50% of produced energy in Switzerland will be solar energy.
There are a lot of activities we need to do. We are doing a lot of policy work, we’re developing technical standards for the industry, and we also organise educational courses which are important for the industry.
Networking and events like this (Solar & Storage Live) are also important parts of the association’s activities.
Xtra: Swissolar has been advocating for accelerated solar deployment in Switzerland. What are the key announcements or policies that have been introduced recently to support this growth?
Matthias: A new energy law was introduced in June this year. This is important for the future development of renewable energy in Switzerland.
The law makes clear its strategic goal for Switzerland of 35TWh of renewable energy in the next ten years, with 30-40% being solar energy.
The law has new specific changes, one of which is the concept of energy communities. This allows producers to sell energy directly to a community, offering better benefits and offers incentives to build new plants in a community.
Xtra: Can you share insights on any upcoming large-scale solar projects in Switzerland that Swissolar is particularly excited about?
Matthias: I don’t often discuss large-scale projects, because Switzerland is a world leader in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) installations.
In Switzerland, most solar installations are built on roofs or facades which is unlike anywhere else in the world. That’s what’s most important to Switzerland.
Of course, we’re starting to explore large-scale installations like Alpine PV, which is better for winter production.
We expect the first installation to start probably next year, which is exciting. But what’s important is that we have a lot of building-integrated systems, as Switzerland has more of these installations than any other country.
Xtra: Can you talk to us about your keynote presentation?
Matthias: This morning (17/09/2024), I talked about the market outlook for Switzerland. The Swiss market has grown strongly over the last five years, with an annual growth of around 50%.
This progress is important, and we’ve achieved a level where we’re on track to meet our political goals – it’s not impossible anymore! We are on track.
(In) the second part of the presentation, we learned more about the diversity of installations.
Like we discussed earlier, today most installations are rooftop building integrated. In the future, we also see potential in agricultural PV, Alpine PV, and more installations on infrastructure like roads, parking lots, and more. Most importantly, we aim to expand installations on building facades.
Xtra: What benefits can companies see when they attend Solar & Storage Live events?
Matthias: It (the event) is an excellent place for networking. It allows us to get in touch with energy companies, installers, and real estate firms, and also develop an international connection.
Many companies attending come from abroad, which is important and helps us to bring new innovations to Switzerland.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live Zürich, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Oct 29, 2024 | Video
Solar&StorageXtra spoke to Lars Mülli, CEO of GVZ Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich, at Solar & Storage Live in Zürich this September.
Lars discussed how GVZ Building Insurance works with the solar industry to protect infrastructure, how hail is becoming an increasing threat to solar modules, and the regulations solar installers and businesses need to consider in Switzerland.
Interview with Lars Mülli, CEO of GVZ Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich
“As hailstorms have become bigger and bigger, the normatives are about to increase from the usual areas of Switzerland from category three to category four. This means that the (solar) modules have to resist the hail.”
Xtra: Talk to us about GVZ’s mission, and any achievements over the last year.
Lars: The building insurance company is one of the authorities overseeing insurance against fire and natural disasters – such as earthquakes. We also serve as the supervisory body for fire prevention authorities and fire services in all communities in Zürich.
We are involved in both prevention and intervention, as well as the regulation of damage.
Xtra: Why is the solar industry important to GVZ?
Lars: Solar panels are often installed on facades and roofs of buildings and have compulsory insurance. We have a high interest in ensuring they are installed correctly and comply with regulations and laws.
In Switzerland, obtaining permission for solar installations has become much easier, with most installations now permitted without requiring special approval.
However, we need to tell the public that “permission-free” does not mean they don’t have to take care of regulations and imperatives.
Xtra: Can you talk to us about your presentation?
Lars: In my presentation, I’ll show the regulations that have to be considered, particularly the differences based on installation type (rooftop vs. facade) and the height of the building.
Of course, a high-rise building exceeding a certain height will have stricter requirements compared to a one-family house.
Xtra: Can you identify any trends in the insurance sector that the solar and storage industries need to be aware of?
Lars: For me, these are issues related to fire and the impact of hail. As hailstorms have become bigger and bigger, the normatives are about to increase from the usual areas of Switzerland from category three to category four. This means that the (solar) modules have to resist the hail.
This means that solar panels have to resist hailstones up to four centimetres in diameter to reduce damage. Ecologically, if they’re getting broken less often, you need to replace them less frequently and we’ll produce less grey energy.
Xtra: What benefits does GVZ see from attending Solar & Storage Live?
Lars: We get to know where the industry is at the moment and the developments. (We see) which challenges are being solved in the meantime, and the battery storage possibilities developing year by year.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live Zürich, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Oct 24, 2024 | Video
Solar&StorageXtra spoke to Jonathan Bates, Managing Director of Photon Energy, at Solar & Storage Live in Birmingham this September.
Jonathan shared insights into pressing issues such as fire risks on rooftop PV systems, challenges with technology and grid connectivity, the ongoing skills shortage, and highlighted the importance of collaboration within the industry to drive innovation and best practices.
“While people often talk about the shortage of qualified installers and electricians – which is a huge problem – there’s also a shortage of design engineers.”
Interview with Jonathan Bates, Managing Director for Photon Energy
Xtra: Can you explain Photon Energy’s role in the solar industry?
Jonathan: We’re a commercial rooftop solar PV installer, in operation since 2006. We focus on three main sectors: commercial, new-build, commercial retrofit, and new-build housing.
Xtra: Talk to us about your presentation.
Jonathan: Recently, there’s been a lot of concern about fires on rooftop PV systems. As a result, we’ve looked at what we can do to improve our design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance processes to minimise both fire ignition and the spread of flames if a fire does start. We’ve taken a whole load of measures, and we’re implementing them.
We hope that what is currently internal guidance will be reviewed by our co-installers and members of Solar Energy UK, and that it will eventually become a Solar Energy UK best practice document on designing solar PV systems to reduce fire risk and spread.
Xtra: As a member of Solar Energy UK’s board, what are the current key challenges the industry should prioritise tackling?
Jonathan: Grid issues are a big problem. This is not just a challenge for large-scale solar farms connecting to the transmission grid, but it’s also a major problem for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop solar.
Even with small-scale systems, like 100 KW, we’re having trouble getting permission to connect. Or we’re receiving grid offers with conditions attached – such as export limitations or physical size restrictions.
This is acting as a real barrier to the widespread adoption of PV on commercial rooftops.
Another major issue, especially post-Brexit, is the massive skills shortage throughout the industry. While people often talk about the shortage of qualified installers and electricians – which is a huge problem – there’s also a shortage of design engineers.
We struggle to recruit graduate electrical and mechanical engineers who we can train to design systems.
To summarise, the main issues for me are grid problems, the skills shortage, and, to a lesser extent, supply chain sustainability. This is especially true considering potential labour abuses in Xinjiang, China; The Solar Stewardship Initiative is starting to address these concerns.
Xtra: What trends in the evolution of the solar and storage industry are currently on your radar?
Jonathan: There’s been a lot of talk about storage. While there’s a lot of utility-scale storage being implemented, it’s still not really economically viable for behind-the-meter industrial buildings where you’re just looking to load shift. We need to see further price reductions in storage systems.
Looking further ahead, things like AI could have a massive impact in terms of controller systems, analysing yields and performance, and predicting when systems can generate and tying it into demand-side management.
People often talk about the whole electricity system and smart grids, but in my view, there’s still a long way to go.
Xtra: What are the main advantages of attending Solar & Storage Live?
Jonathan: For us, the main benefit of events like this is networking—meeting suppliers, and other installers, and discussing problems and best practices.
I mentioned the fire document earlier, and it’s things like that which get born here when we’re all together, having informal chats. Networking and meeting suppliers is a big part of it.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live Zurich, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Oct 22, 2024 | Innovation, Video
Solar&StorageXtra spoke to David Schuppisser, Chief Commercial Officer for Insolight, at Solar & Storage Live Zurich in September.
Representing a company at the forefront of agrivoltaics technology, David discussed how the solar industry can help address environmental and agricultural concerns for solar sites, the challenges agrivoltaics currently faces, and the changes needed for international support.
Interview with David Schuppisser, CCO for Insolight
“To address concerns from farming and environmental organisations, the industry needs to build solid references and provide data about these projects.”
Xtra: Can you explain Insolight’s mission in the industry?
David: Our mission is to enable massive CO2 savings by opening up photovoltaic systems on agricultural land – preserving agricultural activity whilst generating electricity.
Xtra: What policy changes are needed to support the growth of agrivoltaics internationally?
David: To support the growth of agrivoltaics, policymakers should first define what agrivoltaics means in their country and then outline the conditions required to maintain agricultural activity after the agrivoltaic installation is in place.
Additionally, for agrivoltaics to be competitive with alternative solutions, there need to be either restrictions on ground-mounted solar installations or subsidised agrivoltaics.
Xtra: How can the industry address concerns from both the farming and environmental communities against agrivoltaics?
David: To address concerns from farming and environmental organisations, the industry needs to build solid references and provide data about these projects.
It’s also important to involve environmental and farming organisations in the project development process to incorporate their point of view.
Xtra: How can the industry address concerns from the broader public?
David: At Insolight, communicating with the broader public is very important for us. We’ve partnered with organisations such as food retailers, who then sell agrivoltaic energy-positive products to end consumers. We are (also) actively engaging in campaigns to bring this information to the end consumer.
The idea is that every individual consumer can consume better-quality produce while also helping reduce carbon emissions at the same time. For example, when you eat one kilo of strawberries, you’re actually saving 90 kilos of CO2. Isn’t that great?
Xtra: What are the key technological challenges in optimising solar panel placement and design for agrivoltaics installations?
David: There are technical challenges in optimising the soil for agrivoltaics. Typically, you want to ensure that agricultural production continues, which means designing installations that maintain a good microclimate for crops.
Another challenge is ensuring that the installations are compatible with agricultural machinery. And, as with all solar projects, you want to be in locations where there is good access to the grid, which can sometimes be a challenge.
Xtra: What benefits can companies and visitors gain from attending Solar & Storage Live Zurich?
David: At this show, solar and storage companies can benefit by learning about the cutting-edge technologies and business models being implemented today, as well as forming partnerships with complementary companies.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live Zurich, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Oct 17, 2024 | Video
Solar&StorageXtra had the opportunity to connect with Jason Daniels, UK Utilities Sales Manager for Trinasolar, at September’s Solar & Storage Live event in Birmingham.
During our conversation, Jason shared insights on the evolution of solar and storage projects in the UK, the challenges and innovations in the market, and Trina’s commitment to delivering comprehensive solar solutions.
Interview with Jason Daniels, UK Utilities Sales Manager for Trinasolar
What we’re trying to do is to offer solutions that ensure people deploying projects at scale can sell their energy at peak times, whether through tracking systems or energy storage systems.
Xtra: Can you explain Trinasolar’s mission in the industry?
Jason: Trinasolar is one of the pioneers of solar globally. The company was founded in 1997 and has shipped cumulatively well over 200 gigawatts of solar modules.
As the solar market has evolved, we’ve also moved into storage to shift energy generation. Additionally, we have a mounting supply system. Our participation in the market is helping deploy grid-scale projects as well as local, residential, and commercial solutions.
Xtra: Talk to us about your presentation tomorrow.
Jason: Tomorrow, we’ll be looking at the evolution of solar and storage projects in the UK, focusing on their size and what I like to call the shape of them. We’re seeing much more co-location and an increase in trackers being involved.
We’ll be discussing the sizes of the projects and when we can expect to see them deployed.
Xtra: What will Trinasolar be demonstrating at their stand?
Jason: At our stand, we’re demonstrating our utility-scale modules, commercial and residential modules, fixed-mounted systems, and our 1P and 2P tracking systems – these follow the sun using our AI smart technology.
We’re also showcasing our Element 2 storage solution, which consists of 20-foot containers for modular storage. We can scale up to 100 MW or 200 MW, depending on what the market dictates.
Xtra: How do you see the industry evolving and tackling issues over the next decade?
Jason: Some issues in the market include cannibalisation and negative power pricing. What we’re trying to do is to offer solutions that ensure people deploying projects at scale can sell their energy at peak times, whether through tracking systems or energy storage systems.
We’re even exploring green hydrogen solutions. Our goal is to respond to market feedback and demands while continuing to drive toward our mission of solar power for all and an all-solution partner.
Xtra: What benefits can companies and visitors gain from attending Solar & Storage Live?
Jason: Solar and Storage Live is the cornerstone of the renewables event industry in the UK. It’s a wonderful place to attend each year, meeting with friends, colleagues, and connections to facilitate the business to be done for us to meet our net-zero goals.
We have a mission to save the world, and everyone plays their part; that’s what you see on the ground here.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Barcelona edition from 13-14 November.
by Catie Owen | Jun 13, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At Solar & Storage Live in London, held this April at ExCeL, Xtra interviewed Segen’s European Technical Director James Galloway.
James talked to us about his thoughts on the solar landscape’s recent changes, touching on how its impacting industry quality standards, and the opportunities the sector is seeing arise.
Interview with James Galloway, European Technical Director for Segen
“It’s quite a developing market, so all of these changes that are happening in the landscape regarding finance, service, and proposition is creating this need for new standards and quality.”
Xtra: How do you think the solar landscape is changing, and is this affecting industry quality standards?
James: The landscape is changing lots! There’s been a massive boom in solar storage in the last few years, really driven by demand from a consumer perspective as prices have increased.
Prices of utility, gas, and electricity have dramatically increased. That’s created a massive demand that we haven’t seen before. As a result, we’re seeing a lot of new entrants into the market – but especially the established market players are getting scale and getting presence.
I think there’s an awareness piece as well. The way it’s changing the landscape is that we’re moving away from a product transactional business model to an expectation for more than just the products but the total product ecosystem.
[This is] as people bring together heat pumps, EVs, and solar and battery. That creates a need for new services such as home energy management. With that combined with the digitisation of products, I think we’ll see a massive shift.
Another thing that’s changing is also affordability. Traditionally, solar storage has been seen as quite an expensive asset to put on your home or a building, but the improved availability of finance for consumers is really changing the landscape as a whole.
[Addressing] how that’s impacting quality standards, the industry generally has been led by players in the markets, the companies, and the industry as a whole. I think that’s natural for quite a fast-growing sector.
Now government is coming, with associations and trade bodies, to bring in standards, policies, and regulations which will create a framework of governance. I think that’s a good place [to be] but there’s a lot more work to be done.
It’s quite a developing market, so all of these changes that are happening in the landscape regarding finance, service, and proposition are creating this need for new standards and quality. Now it’s really important to ensure you’ve got consumer confidence in those products and services.
Xtra: What are 3 major opportunities for the UK solar market in the next 12 months?
James: I think that there are many opportunities. As only 3% of UK homes have solar and storage the question is: why don’t the other 97%? There’s a big opportunity there; I mentioned finance propositions and how you break down that upfront cost barrier.
There’s a big thing about making solar storage more accessible to larger demographics. There’s a role there with standards as well: ensuring that you get quality of installation and you’ve got bodies like the MCS who are there to ensure high-quality standards are being delivered.
There are also opportunities concerning these services, so we’ll see utilities playing a stronger role in bringing new value to the market.
Virtual power plants, VPPs, are talked about a lot these days. They’re a great way of bringing a lot of capacity to the market, especially as electricity demand is going to increase significantly over the next decade and to make sure that solar storage can secure demand for the UK.
The third [opportunity] would be [ensuring] the availability of trained installers. Such as making sure that they have access to qualifications and bringing more qualified electricians into the sector so that we’ve got secure jobs in the future. Then, we can trace out a future for employment in the UK. I think that’d be a great place for us as a nation [to be].
It’s also a place that the government and institutions can support to bring more people into the sector.
Xtra: Who are you most looking forward to speaking with at Solar & Storage Live London?
James: Our customers are always the most important thing to us. There are all sorts of assumptions that we make, so [here] we spend as much time as possible validating those assumptions with our customers. [We ask] what do they need and want?
It’s a great opportunity at the trade fair to speak to our customers, of all types and at all areas of the supply chain, and understand what they want, what’s coming next, and we can help them.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London, and why are events like this so important?
James: A massive benefit is awareness, and that accounts for everyone. For us the benefit is we get to speak to our customers, but also our suppliers. Our suppliers get to hear from customers and speak to each other.
I think it’s a whole awareness piece – where we can step out of our day-to-day and speak to everyone else in the industry.
It’s a great event.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Catie Owen | Jun 6, 2024 | Storage, Video
At April’s London edition of Solar & Storage Live, the Xtra team interviewed LIVOLTEK’s Head of Europe, Amy Liu.
Amy discussed three opportunities the UK solar market has the opportunity to take advantage of this year, why LIVOLTEK attends shows like Solar & Storage Live, and the conversations she was looking forward to having.
Interview with Amy Liu, Head of Europe for LIVOLTEK
“This is what we were seeing: [ways] to combine and manage your home load to make it a really smart home. This is the next opportunity for the UK market: combining hardware and software.”
Xtra: What are three major opportunities for the UK solar market in the next 12 months?
Amy: As the Livoltek brand entered the UK market two years [ago], we started from residential and have now also expanded into the commercial sector.
The three opportunities in the UK market for the next 12 months include battery storage. It’s being driven towards some common trends, such as demand and it’s also driven by energy prices. This is the first opportunity we are seeing for the coming year.
The second opportunity I’m seeing here is about home energy management. There are a lot of hardware suppliers in this market as more and more families now have solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps, and EV charging.
A single EV charge is seven kilowatts: this is probably a big amount of the home load. So as more and more families have more home load, they can choose and manage the home load that’s combined with a smart tariff. A lot of energy companies now have dynamic tariffs and smart tariffs.
This is what we were seeing: [ways] to combine and manage your home load to make it a really smart home. This is the next opportunity for the UK market: combining hardware and software.
Because we’re mostly for the residential sector, we’re thinking about PV on new buildings. During this exhibition, we‘re speaking to a lot of developing companies. It will likely become a new trend for new buildings and homes because everybody wants to be modelling them from the beginning. This is a new opportunity for the PV of new buildings and new homes.
Xtra: What conversations are you excited to have at Solar & Storage Live London?
Amy: As a manufacturer, we are excited to speak to our partners. The first in that category are the distributors. We are excited to speak to our distributor partners and see what they are looking for in us as a manufacturer to add value to their businesses.
The second category is installers as ‘final players’ in this industry, as part of a supply chain that approaches any user, no matter a residential end-user or commercial end user, for the final step.
We want to know what they care about, so we’ll talk to them about their needs and then go back to our factory to discuss what we need to design. [We also discuss] what provides value to this market and this industry.
Another category is energy companies, who have been significant players in the industry this year – [we want to know] what do they really care about? For chargers and battery storage, they are interactive and deal with the network.
How do energy companies play a significant role in this industry? They can provide renewable energy of all kinds. They can also set new regulations because of [how they are] interacting with their network and with the grid.
Those are the three conversations we want to have [at the show].
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London, and why are these events so significant?
Amy: The first thing to focus on is networking. Especially [for us as] we have our local team and our Chinese team here. Our existing partners said networking is important and so did our new friends at the show.
The second thing is about trends. Everybody sees this industry [as one where we] share information with competitors, our partners, organisations, associations, and companies, about new regulations and what’s new coming to this industry. We should have more knowledge and information exchange – it’s quite important.
Additionally, this is a unique event for our brand, which is a good channel to build our brand awareness on – which is why we attend here. I’m the first batch to reserve (a place) at this show here in London. London is a very big city, which makes it a good place for information exchange.
Xtra: Can you run us through some hot topics facing the solar market at the moment?
Amy: The first thing (to focus on) is the marketing trends. I see, compared to last year, much more of the marketing diversion, i.e. the transition from residential to commercial.
A second insight is competition. We often find too very many similar hardware products in this industry, which gave me an idea: How should we build our computers in this industry and this market? We have similar hardware, so how can we provide our software, computers, and services and still market to our industry.
by Catie Owen | Jun 5, 2024 | Innovation, Video
The Xtra team interviewed MCS Certified’s Ian Rippin at Solar & Storage Live London’s first edition, which took place at ExCeL London.
Ian dove into MCS’ upcoming new certification, the trends linked to its Battery Installation Standard, and the benefits of attending industry shows like Solar & Storage Live.
Interview with Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS Certified
“We’re feeling the pulse and the temperature of the market which I think, over the Autumn and into Christmas and New Year, has been a little bit slower than the same time the year before. But we’re now seeing growth again.”
Xtra: What is MCS seeing linked to the MCS Battery Installation Standard?
Ian: What we’re seeing on solar and energy storage is real growth. We published our standard sometime last year, and since then we’ve seen many more installers wanting to be certified for battery installation. We’re now up at over 1000 installations a month.
Anecdotally, what we’re hearing is that 80% + of solar PV is going in with battery storage. We all know why: because it makes sense from a self-consumption point of view.
Xtra: What support will the new MCS scheme provide to the solar sector and its consumers? And, when can we expect the new scheme to go live?
Ian: MCS 2.0, the new MCS [certification] is coming soon. We’ve been working hard on that behind the scenes.
What will it provide to the sector? It’ll be far more accessible than the current scheme for our installers to take advantage of. Because consumers are asking for a certified product and a certified reputable installer.
That’s the first thing: get yourself MCS certified under the new scheme coming soon.
But in terms of consumers, what we’ve identified as an issue today, is that they can sometimes feel a bit lost when something goes wrong on those rare occasions when they’re in dispute with their contractor. The new MCS is about centralising complaints and creating a place for consumers to come.
We’ll always work with installers to get the right solution for their customers, but we are going to take much more of the burden of managing that interface when there’s a complaint.
Xtra: What are 3 major opportunities for the UK solar market in the next 12 months?
Ian: I’m really excited about the future home standard. That is, we hope, going to go live next year – and option one includes solar PV as standard.
If a home is future-proofed and it’s got solar on its roof, I think that will affect the retrofit market as well, because people will want to have homes that are as good as [possible]. As retrofitting solar will also grow, let’s hope that is the option that the [UK] government will go for.
Of course, I also would say that the new MCS is going to be great for the sector. We have worked hard on making it the best scheme we possibly can, so as soon as I can announce when it will go live, I will. That’s coming soon.
I’m thinking also about battery and energy storage. We’re seeing great opportunities for installers wanting to couple batteries with solar as a business opportunity, and it’s fantastic for the grid and energy security too.
Xtra: Who are you most looking forward to speaking to at Solar & Storage Live London?
It’s great to talk to installers – lots of people are starting to recognise me, so I have to come in disguise! So it’s great to see what installers are doing and see new initiatives in the technology,
I’ve been on a panel this morning talking about the government’s solar road map and we’re looking forward to the publication of that.
That makes a massive commitment both from the government and industry to the solar sector here in the UK. So we’re talking to people about that. We can’t share too much yet because it has not been published, but it is an exciting document. Watch this space for the solar roadmap.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London and why are events like this important?
Ian: It’s really important that I get out from behind my desk and start to talk to installers, customers, and manufacturers.
MCS is a scheme for installers and manufacturers, and people forget that we certify products as well. It’s important to see how they’re presenting their product to the market, and the sales that are going on.
We’re feeling the pulse and the temperature of the market which I think, over the Autumn and into Christmas and New Year, has been a little bit slower than the same time the year before. But we’re now seeing growth again.
But overall it’s great to get a sense of the industry by coming to events like this.
by Catie Owen | May 30, 2024 | Commercial & Industrial Solar, Video
At April’s Solar & Storage Live London, which took place at ExCeL London, the Xtra team interviewed Artem Semenyshyn, RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation.
Artem discussed RePower Ukraine’s hard work following the war in Ukraine, the support the foundation received at the show, and how the energy industry can help to support Ukraine during this time.
Artem Semenyshyn, RePower Ukraine Charitable Foundation
“Energy is everything; it’s light, internet, Wi-Fi, the phone. If you don’t have energy, you are completely shut down from life – not just from what you need.”
Xtra: What is the latest from RePower Ukraine’s foundation?
Artem: RePower Ukrainian is taking part in this amazing event, and this is the first time we have represented the Foundation in the UK.
We are grateful for this opportunity to talk about the situation in Ukraine, its energy sphere and energy dimension, and to raise the question about energy poverty which has occurred in Ukraine because of the war.
Today we are representing, not only the foundation but also our country, as RePower Ukraine is the only spot in this exhibition that’s represented by Ukrainians.
We have received a lot of visits from different people to give their support for our country and RePower’s fight for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. To help municipalities get their own electricity back supply from the rooftop panels and to also have backup storage for that.
I will also be using this opportunity to be grateful to Terrapinn who invited us to take part [today], for supporting us and our visit here as participants at this amazing event.
I personally understand that this year is very crucial for Ukrainian resilience and for energy backup systems. In March and April 2024, a lot of damage has been done to our energy infrastructure. Also, there are not enough electricity production capacities in [other] countries. Solar and storage are the best answer to the issue.
We also promote Ukraine as a destination for investments, for donors, and we hope that these people will also become our friends as we together rebuild Ukraine better. This is the principle: ‘Build Back Better’.
Xtra: What conversations are you excited to have at Solar & Storage Live London?
Artem: First of all, there are very interesting discussions here at [the show’s] sessions, and there are also a lot of interesting talks with companies that actually represent the solar energy market of the UK.
We hope that this joint understanding of the situation in Ukraine and the desire to rebuild the country together is the core topic of our discussions.
We have been approached by a lot of people, visitors, and exhibitors from this event who have all been interested in what’s going on in Ukraine. Asking: how will you continue to live?
Of course, there are plenty of challenges for that, but we don’t have another option. We are in our country, and we want to live in our homes. Now this is a challenge because the energy infrastructure has been destroyed.
Energy is everything; it’s light, internet, Wi-Fi, the phone. If you don’t have energy, you are completely shut down from life – not just from what you need.
The Ukrainian energy infrastructure unfortunately experienced huge damage over the last two years. A hydropower plant that was a dam that flooded dozens of cities. There are talks on proposals to turn more power plants into other hydropower plants, [because] even the solar power plants were destroyed.
All the energy [sector] has a strong resilience. Some are vulnerable, especially big, concentrated power plants. But solar energy provides the benefits of the centralised energy system, which is more resilient because it’s more autonomous and you can produce energy and consume it at the same place. This is important, and how it is a benefit.
We are discussing today [at the show] how to combine our issues and challenges with the advantages and benefits provided currently by solar and storage technologies.
Xtra: Can you describe the current landscape of Ukraine’s solar market?
Artem: The solar energy market in Ukraine was booming. In 2019, we deployed a little bit more large-scale solar capacity than Germany, and that was the game changer. More and more people noticed solar and it became a business.
Now, because of the war, much fewer investments are coming to our country, and a lot of money is still coming through the energy system, with new projects for self-consumption [in the works].
Currently in Ukraine sometimes it’s difficult to find equipment on the market. If you want to build your plant this month, you need to wait for some equipment.
Of course, there are some logistical challenges, but the demand is growing. That’s good because [solar] business understands the risks – that [plants] need to be completely shut down in the fall, so they invest money in new projects, they become more self-sufficient and independent.
They also save a lot of money because it’s quite cheap. The electricity generated by solar power plants is the cheapest possible electricity. According to ARENA and other international organisations, it will be the leading and cheapest source of energy.
The Ukrainian market now is growing very slowly, but we are growing. The Ukrainian market has just started to grow in a real way: we forecast new additions of capacities. We need at least 3.5GW of solar capacity in the next two years to be installed, as communicated by our government. Also, we need a lot of balancing capacities and the energy storage here is the core solution to it.
I see a huge space for new projects, for collaboration. I see interest from investors and we are ready to act. We are ready to go and build a more resilient and stable country with renewables.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London and why are events like this so important?
Artem: This exhibition is the flagship exhibition in the UK devoted to solar and storage. I’ve been to dozens of exhibitions dedicated to solar all over the world. I’ve been the chair of a solar association for four years in Ukraine – so I have attended a lot [of shows], but this is the first time I’ve come here to see how the market is reflecting the growth of the members represented here.
I’ve also come here as a RePower Ukraine volunteer. This year we are representing with a booth, showing the foundation’s projects.
There are a couple of projects in our pipeline. They’re projects for hospitals where we help hospitals to get more energy independence. We build rooftop PV plants for hospitals, and we also add storage so critical departments of the hospitals can function even for just three hours without electricity from the grid.
So that’s the core of it – to reach more companies who can support us based on the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is very beneficial to a company
Because if companies become more familiar with the market and vice versa, it’s a good marketing step as well for every company.
As mentioned today, a lot of renewable energy companies benefited significantly from the growth of electricity prices. The renewable energy market was growing because the prices were so high.
But what was the reason why the prices have risen? [It is] because of the war in Ukraine, uncertainty in the markets, the impact on global prices, on energy resources before the war which made Western countries more fragile. Those are the reasons why renewables were rising.
Oil and autocracy pushed the development of solar. Fossil fuels – dictatorship in other words – pushed the development of renewables globally. That’s the paradox of 2022 and 2023.
[At the show] we are reaching out to companies, and we are open for collaborations.
Ukraine has unfortunately suffered huge challenges [to its infrastructure] – Ukraine has over 6500 hospitals only. We are also talking about schools, kindergartens, and water treatment facilities. There are so many more [that we need help with], and of course, we cannot do it ourselves. It’s a huge impact.
We still need a huge amount of support and solidarity but, we defend, not only our country but also our values as well as those we share with other European countries. And with the citizens of UK and the Western world.
We really, think that this is common sense for understanding our energy policy and how to talk about it with companies. We see that companies appreciate us, and we received a very good response from them to our calls for support and donations for Ukraine.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Catie Owen | May 28, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At Solar & Storage Live London, at ExCeL from 29-30 April, Xtra interviewed Jon Camp – Managing Director for Recom Technologies.
Jon discussed his experience at the event and explained why events such as Solar & Storage Live are so significant to the industry.
Jon Camp, MD at Recom Technologies
“We are new to the market, this is our first year, so it’s important that people recognise that we’re here, we’re not a one-off, and we’re here to stay.”
Xtra: Can you run us through three problems facing the solar market at the moment, and their solutions?
Jon: I think that the challenges are well-documented at the moment. They are the grid, which clearly needs to be looked at and upgraded; planning, which is causing an immense amount of problems because of the time it takes and the legislation that has to be put through; and resource, and when we say resource, the first thing we think about is people.
But we also need to consider the resources of the materials that make the solar panels inverters and batteries. They’re the three main things.
The good news is that our [the UK’s] political parties are coming to an agreement, and have set up a solar taskforce – I’m sure many members of that taskforce are here at the show at the moment. They are doing as much as they can to move things forward and move the solar industry into the future.
Xtra: Who are you most looking forward to speaking to at Solar & Storage Live London?
Jon: We’re here mainly to engage with the installers, as the installers are the ones at the end of the day who are buying the product.
We’re hoping that by engaging with them and discussing the whys and wherefores of our products, they will be talking to their stockists and wholesalers who will then speak to us to stock our products.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London and why are events like this so important?
Jon: I think there are a number of reasons. We are new to the market, and this is our first year, so it’s important that people recognise that we’re here, we’re not a one-off, and we’re here to stay. We want to engage with attendees and start building our presence in the market.
And, more importantly, we want to start helping the environment as well. Fingers crossed we’re going to get the opportunity to do that.
Xtra: What insights are you hoping to gain at Solar & Storage Live London?
Jon: The most important insight to us is getting a better understanding of the people in the industry – whether they’re our competitors or they’re the people that we’re trying to engage with.
It (the show) also gives you an opportunity to talk to a wide variety of people across the industry and get some of their feedback, which can guide us to where we’re looking to go in the future.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Catie Owen | May 28, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At Solar & Storage Live London, 29-30 April, the Xtra team interviewed Georgina Worrall – Head of the POWERful Women initiative.
In preparation for her panel session at the show Georgina explained her thoughts to Xtra on the industry’s struggle to acquire and retain talent, providing examples for companies to follow the initiative’s lead.
Georgina Worrall, Head of POWERful Women
I think there are opportunities for companies to also go and engage with the communities that they’re looking to recruit from and understand what is important to them.
Xtra: What is contributing to the difficulty in acquiring & retaining talent in the industry?
Georgina: If we start with attracting talent: In a recent Arena report, they estimated that the renewable sector is going to need around 29 million new jobs by 2050. So there’s a real need to attract diverse talent. I think there are a lot of things that companies can do to attract that talent.
To give you a couple of examples, make sure that in the [job] adverts they are using language that really encourages inclusivity. Whether that is highlighting that there’s flexible working, using language that everyone can understand is open to all diverse communities that they serve.
I think there are opportunities for companies to also go and engage with the communities that they’re looking to recruit from and understand what is important to them.
Companies also need to be putting on their website what their company values and ethos’ are, because now a lot of people want to make sure that they’re working for a company that aligns with their values.
In terms of retaining talent, last year POWERful Women published a report on the women we are losing. It looked at the reasons why women are leaving the energy sector.
Although that report looked at gender diversity, what came out of that report is representative of all sectors. The three things that came out were that people want to feel listened to, they want to feel valued, and they want to feel like they’re making an impact.
There are several things that companies can do in those areas. Some examples include [the fact that] lots of companies have flexible working policies in place, but actually if you look at the take-up level of those they’re quite low.
What is holding people back from taking up those flexible working policies? A lot of the people that we speak to within our network say it’s because they don’t see their line managers or senior leaders taking those policies. Therefore, they are uncomfortable taking them because it might be seen that they are not as conscious of their careers and don’t have aspirations similar to what they had before.
There’s also a role for leaders as well. If they want to embed diversity and inclusion within their company and have an inclusive company culture, then they need to be driving it from the top.
One thing that leaders could do, is potentially look at reverse mentoring. A lot of leaders within our network have done reverse mentoring and found it interesting to get the viewpoint and understanding of the younger people in their organisations. Of understanding what’s important to them, and where their interests lie.
Those are examples of retaining talent.
Xtra: What conversations are you excited to have at Solar & Storage Live London?
Georgina: I’m going to be slightly biased and say that I’m looking forward to my panel session on attracting and retaining talent in the sector! I think there’s a broad scope of panellists on my session, so we’ll be able to speak about that.
There’s also the Women in Energy networking event this evening at 4:30pm: an opportunity to network, talk, engage with people and find out what they’re interested in in terms of diversity and inclusion. It’s a really good opportunity.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London and why are events like this so important?
Georgina: Solar is an emerging sector; it’s still growing. There’s an opportunity here for exhibitors to show off their products and services and show what they have to offer the sector. [The show is] an opportunity for people to network, meet colleagues, interact with new people, and germinate ideas that can come about at events like this.
Why they’re so important is because, to have that diversity of thought, we need a wide range of people from within the sector coming together and speaking with each other.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Catie Owen | May 24, 2024 | Innovation, Video
At Solar & Storage Live London, which took place at ExCeL from 29-30 April, Xtra interviewed Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK.
Chris updated us on the latest from the Solar Taskforce and explained why he thinks attending solar events is important.
Chris Hewett, CEO of Solar Energy UK
“The London event is another opportunity to meet people who perhaps can’t travel to Birmingham, but also perhaps those players who are not part of the solar industry but are interested in what’s going on.”
Xtra: What can we expect from the Solar Taskforce?
Chris: The Solar Task Force has been meeting for around about 12 months now. It’s been a body of industry leaders and some non-industry, such as the networks and the NCS, and the UK infrastructure bank.
We’ve been focusing on three areas primarily. First, it’s grid constraints and trying to ensure that solar can get those grid connections as fast as possible. That’s work in progress; we’re still not there yet but definitely some progress is starting to be made.
We’re looking very heavily at skills issues and how we can recruit the right people into the sector. To make sure that we as an industry train them and make sure those skills are there so that the work is really high quality.
Finally, we’re looking at the supply chain from the UK perspective: how we can try to ensure that as much of the jobs and economic benefits from manufacturing, from construction, and the jobs come into the UK market especially.
Xtra: What are three major opportunities for the UK solar market in the next 12 months?
Chris: The three things we’re looking at are: how fast can we get those grid connections? There is progress, so that’s something we’re looking at very closely.
Also, marketing the sector to the wider economy, in terms of exactly how fast we’re growing and what job opportunities there are, is a real opportunity. We’ll be running a solar careers program to promote that.
The third area looks at the benefits of solar farms, particularly in terms of biodiversity, habitat creation, and integration of solar farms into the rural economy and the benefits that can give to those rural areas.
Xtra: Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London, and why are events like it so important?
Chris: Solar and Storage Live has grown hugely over the last few years. We’re really pleased with the partnership we’ve had with Terrapinn.
The London event is another opportunity to meet people who perhaps can’t travel to Birmingham, but also perhaps those players who are not part of the solar industry but are interested in what’s going on. We are expecting to talk to a lot more of those people during this these two days.
Xtra: What conversations are you excited to have at Solar & Storage Live London?
Chris: One, it’s always fantastic to meet the industry, all of our members, but also potential members. What we’re seeing is fantastic enthusiasm, fantastic growth, and we always learn a lot about what’s happening in the industry from these events. That’s really important.
Two, London will be a place where those players who are interested in Solar, or perhaps want to deploy solar on their buildings or on their land, come to find out a little bit more. We are able to use this as an opportunity to promote the growth of the energy storage and solar sectors to a different audience.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Catie Owen | May 23, 2024 | Storage, Video
At Solar & Storage Live London, which took place at ExCeL from 29-30 April, the Xtra team interviewed GivEnergy‘s David Roberts.
David dove into his thoughts on the major opportunities coming the solar sector’s way this year and shared some novel advice for those just beginning their renewables journey.
David Roberts, Managing Director for GivEnergy
“The people that do similar products actually are friends who sensibly collaborate, learn from each other, and work together to make the industry better.”
Xtra: For those about to begin their solar adventure, why would you advise to start their renewables journey with battery storage?
David: I think it’s traditional to start with solar panels. Everyone used to have solar panels and a string inverter; battery storage has grown from there. But now battery storage is the key part of the ecosystem. It is the quickest return on investment: the smallest amount of cash [you have] to pay out to get the fastest return.
Also, it’s essential to have a battery to maximize the benefits of your solar panels or heat pump. It enables people to use green electricity produced from the grid, store it at their property when they buy it at the cheapest rates, and then power their house throughout the day.
The final point is that it allows energy independence. If the grid goes down entirely, you can use the backup of a battery to power your house.
Xtra: What are three major opportunities for the UK solar market?
David: One of the biggest things that we believe in as a business is the fairness of the energy market. The wealthier you are, the more cheaply you can buy electricity – and we think that’s just broken.
We need to enable people at the lower end of the income scale or in social housing to benefit from EV rate tariffs; to be able to buy electricity at the cheapest price; have their own solar panels and, while they’re out of work, save their electricity to power the house when they’re back at home. That’s one of the major things [for GivEnergy].
The next one is enabling heat pumps to work: the collaboration between solar, battery storage, and heat pumps to electrify the world and to move away from carbon-intensive gas and oil.
As an industry, when the last boom came we weren’t ready. We know there’s another boom, which means that we need to be prepared with our people, our software, and our infrastructure to be able to service the market when the demand takes off again.
Xtra: Who are you most looking forward to speaking to at Solar & Storage Live London?
David: I’d say probably three groups of people. Firstly installers: I do a lot of work with our direct customers, distributors and wholesalers, but the installers are the lifeblood of what we do. Here we get to meet the installers, get a lot of really good feedback (both positive and things to improve) so we can learn and evolve our business strategy on the back of it.
[I’m looking forward to seeing] a lot of old faces! I’ve now been in the industry for three or four years, so personally, I get to meet up with connections and share information [with them].
Finally, a bit of a weird one. For me in this industry, what I call ‘frenemies’. They’re the people that we compete with, but actually, we work together. The people who do similar products are friends who sensibly collaborate, learn from each other, and work together to make the industry better.
Xtra: Who are you most looking forward to speaking to at Solar & Storage Live London?
David: In my opinion, slightly biased, we are the biggest and the best. It’s important to show that and to be present, to lead by example.
It’s a great connection point for customers old and new to interact and gather great feedback, and to teach customers about what’s coming around the corner. Also, it’s good for interacting with people who just don’t know who we are yet – whether [they’re attendees] at different shows, manufacturers, solar panel manufacturers, or distributors.
Overall for us, the show is a great opportunity to connect, be present, and lead by example.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? Don’t miss the Birmingham edition from 24-26 September.
by Regan Slaymaker | Apr 5, 2024 | Video
Interview with Chris Buckland, Global Technical Director at Lightsource BP
It was a pleasure to interview Minister Andrew Bowie, Co-Chair of the UK’s Solar Taskforce and the Minster for Nuclear and Renewable Energy, ahead of their participation at Solar&StorageLive London on the 29-30 of April this year!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Minister Bowie joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss the success of the UK’s Solar Taskforce, the challenges to deploying solar technologies in the UK and the importance of collaboration when achieving the UK’s 70GW solar target.
Whilst the deployment of renewable technologies, especially solar, is consistently on the rise in the UK, there are challenges that can hinder faster deployment. Minister Bowie highlighted some of the key challenges facing the deployment of renewable technologies and the solutions in place to combat them:
The UK’s capacity on the grid, and grid connections in general, is one issue the UK is facing when deploying renewable technologies. The lower the grid capacity, the slower renewable projects can connect to the electricity grid. Minister Bowie explained that the government have put in place reforms to accelerate the construction of network infrastructure and to reform the connection process which will ease and speed up innovative connections to the grid. The skills gap must be assessed to speed up the deployment of renewable projects in the UK. It is essential the right and enough people are being trained to correctly deploy these new and innovative technologies.
Investment, planning and consenting are all being reviewed in order to increase the deployment of solar in the UK. Minister Bowie explained that the UK is ranked 4th in the world for low carbon investment in 2023 behind China, the US, and Germany, the UK government want to improve this and establish the country as a ‘genuine hub for green, clean, technological investment.’ Initiatives for planning and consenting have also been assessed to speed up deployment.
“We should be shouting it from the rooftop just how World leading the UK is when it comes to cutting our carbon emissions, creating new jobs, developing new technologies, driving to net zero and a more secure energy landscape!”
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To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com. For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Mar 20, 2024 | Video
It was a pleasure to interview Chris Buckland, Global Technical Director at Lightsource BP, ahead of their participation at Solar&Storage Live London, at the ExCel (April 29-30)!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Chris joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss the jurisdictional challenges to implementing renewable technologies globally and the relationship between green hydrogen and solar power.
Chris explained that different solar markets have different challenges when it comes to deploying different renewable technologies. On the technology side, for Lightsource BP, ‘business as usual’ solar is relatively straightforward with Lightsource deploying 5MW of the total 500MW of solar deployed last year. However, each market Lightsource operate in presents a different challenge.
In more mature solar markets (UK, Germany, Spain for example) connection to the grid is relatively easy but in other markets this can be more difficult. In the United States (US) deployment requires a level of government sponsorship with home grown solar being prioritised. In Asia, the landscape is a major challenge with more new technology being needed to reach solar deployment targets. Chris highlighted floating solar as a key technology in the solar market in Asia.
“It’s jurisdictional. On the technology side (regarding) business-as-usual solar is relatively straightforward. Different markets have different challenges… over in new markets, there are new technologies necessary to deploy the amount of solar needed.”
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com. For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
by Regan Slaymaker | Mar 18, 2024 | Storage, Video
It was a pleasure to interview Shamala Gadgill, Senior Programme Manager at Coventry City Council, ahead of their participation at Solar&Storage Live London, at the ExCel (April 29-30)!
Solar&StorageXtra is the new publishing part of the Solar and Storage Live event series where we will be interviewing our esteemed speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to get their live reactions to the event and the important discussions within the industry.
Shamala joined Solar&StorageXtra to discuss the deployment of charging infrastructure, the support that is given to local authorities to deploy this technology and the affect a skills shortage has on an industry.
Shamala explained that a mass deployment of charging infrastructure is needed to support the electrification of public transport. Lots of projects are happening in Coventry, including the integration of solar and battery storage. In collaboration with National Express, Coventry City Council have began to install solar pv on the rooftop of their bus depot alongside a battery storage system. In theory, the solar and storage system could provide enough electricity to power the 10 strong electric bus fleet.
Shamala highlighted that a lot of work is being done by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to support local authorities with their electric vehicle strategy but more needs to be done. Shamala explained to tackle these challenges to EV infrastructure deployment, like the skills shortage for example, significant collaboration is needed. Measures must be put into place to tackle these issues but attending events, like Solar&StorageLive, help provide a platform for these discussions and assist local authorities to understand what technology suits their town/city best.
For more interviews from Solar&StorageXtra and to keep up to date with all NEW content, subscribe to the Solar&StorageXtra YouTube channel and Newsletter!
To enquire about interviews, submit news and press releases please contact our Editor, Regan Slaymaker, regan.slaymaker@terrapinn.com. For sponsorship and exhibition enquires please contact Tom Moon, tom.moon@terrapinn.com.
