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.
