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.
