Solar&StorageXtra caught up with Jason Howlett, Global CEO for GivEnergy at this year’s Intersolar.
Jason discussed GivEnergy’s exhibited products, the changing trends in the solar industry, and how important it is to meet clients both old and new at international solar shows.
Interview with Jason Howlett, Global CEO for GivEnergy
“Coming to these shows, it’s as much about demonstrating who we are as much as demonstrating what we do.”
Xtra: Are you showcasing any new products at Intersolar?
Jason: We’ve launched a couple of new products here. We [brought] our “all in one”, which is an integrated AC couple battery which has 13.5kW hours.
We’ve also got our traditional product which has a 6kW discharge rate but have also introduced a 3.6kW rate which is really interesting to some of our markets. We’ve also brought higher output hybrid inverters as well – we now have a 10kW hybrid inverter, which has also been released for the show.
Xtra: Why is attending international solar shows so important?
Jason: I think the great thing for us is meeting new customers and existing customers. As we launched in Europe last year, it’s been a really interesting time as the European markets are coming up.
It’s a big [learning] curve, but we’ve managed to create some great relationships over the past year with several installers. The show attracts people from around the world, so I’ve been talking to people ranging from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand – and we’re present in all those locations.
This show attracts people from all over, like the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and Slovakia.
Xtra: Why is it important to attend international solar events, and what are the benefits?
Jason: GivEnergy is known in the UK by every Chinese manufacturer. Part of the role I’ve been doing and growing in the business is very much around making GivEnergy an international player and ultimately a global player.
Coming to these shows, it’s as much about demonstrating who we are as much as demonstrating what we do. We’re doing several shows around the world: Intersolar, South Africa, Asia, and so on.
All these shows are really important for us for visitors to see who we are, what we do, and why we are so different to every other company that’s here.
Because as a British company, our software is our unique part. All our software is from the UK head office, and our hardware is produced in our factories in China.
But what really distinguishes us is that we’re the only company that has all the data for the global play from the UK headquarters. That [factor] says your data is secure and your software that controls your system is backed up by a British company.
We’re not a Chinese manufacturer with Chinese data and Chinese control philosophies. The intelligence is provided to the system through UK-based software
Xtra: What conversations are you most looking forward to at the show?
Jason: It’s amazing the breadth of conversation you have [here] because one minute you’re talking to somebody from the UK or Germany, South Africa, or even Australia and New Zealand.
Xtra: Over the next decade, how do you see GivEnegy changing in the market?
Jason: It’s really interesting how the industry evolves. For us, we’ve always been [both] a software business and a hardware business. I think the whole factor of grid security is going to really come to the fore.
We’ve had the issues that people understand with telecoms and video, but energy is becoming an increasingly important aspect to that. It’s about how we use energy smartly.
It’s not about the smart home, it is genuinely about smart energy: optimising when you use energy as opposed to just being able to use it when you want to. Storage comes into play there at both a residential level and a commercial industrial level.
The utility-scale is a massive part of that energy transition. To get to net zero, you’ve got to be able to store energy for when people want to use it. We’ve come away from the traditional route where production has tried to match demand. For example, during halftime in a football game energy generators bump up. We’ve now got to match demand to generation.
As we invest more and more into renewables, what we’re going to see over the next ten years is that a big shift. Into trying to encourage people to use energy when they need it as opposed to using it when they want, but also having grid security and true grid independence that’s using manufacturers like us. That’s going to come to the fore.
Visit Solar & Storage Live in Birmingham this September to experience the UK’s solar industry for yourself. Or, find a Solar & Storage Live near you.
