Joseph Lambert, Sales Director for PV mounting systems company SOLARPORT, talks to Solar&StorageXtra about the company’s expansion into the European market, the logistics to follow, and the company’s new approach to international events.
“Clients we’ve supported in the UK are now inviting us to supply projects in new territories. That’s a strong endorsement – we’re not aggressively chasing work abroad; we’re being asked to come along.”
What motivated SOLARPORT to expand into the European market, and how will the company contribute to Europe’s push for large-scale solar deployment?
Joseph: Our expansion into Europe is driven by several factors. We already have a strong presence and significant market share in the UK, working with many of the top-quality EPCs, many of whom also operate across Europe.
We’re winning most opportunities, adding new clients and working on repeat projects with long-standing partners, but the UK market is also quite cyclical – most construction happens in the summer, and things quiet down in winter.
Expanding into Europe helps us smooth out that seasonality and gives us the chance to kick off a new growth phase, similar to when we first gained traction in the UK.
We’re in a fortunate position where clients we’ve supported in the UK are now inviting us to supply projects in new territories. That’s a strong endorsement – we’re not aggressively chasing work abroad; we’re being asked to come along.
We’ve already delivered projects in Europe, including our first utility-scale system in Ireland, as well as projects in the Netherlands and the Nordics. So far, that’s been managed using our existing UK setup, but we’re now investing in bringing our full UK offering to the continent.
The European market offers huge opportunities – there’s demand for energy security, price sensitivity, quality engineering, and an emphasis on fast, reliable delivery. All of that aligns with SOLARPORT’s strengths.
How does your approach to mounting systems differ across international markets?
Joseph: Our core principles remain the same: agility, speed of service, engineering precision, and excellent customer support. Clients often tell us it feels like they’re our only customer, and that’s the level of attention we plan to bring to Europe.
We don’t offer off-the-shelf products for utility-scale projects – everything is tailored to the project and environment. Our systems are known for their durability and adaptability, which is key when dealing with regional differences like high snow loads or high wind speeds in Northern Europe.
In 2026, we’ll launch a tracker product – a new addition for us. Until now, we’ve focused solely on fixed-tilt systems, but to serve Southern European markets where trackers are more common, we’re developing a system specifically for those needs.
Overall, we don’t just see ourselves as a supplier – we aim to be a strategic partner, offering unmatched technical support, reliable lead times, and the service-first approach our clients expect.
Will you be adapting logistics, production, or partnerships to support your growth from 2025 onward?
Joseph: Absolutely. Replicating our UK model across Europe wouldn’t work if we were shipping everything from the UK.
Many of our UK competitors who are based overseas face challenges with customs and shipping delays, so we’re taking a different approach as we compete in their home markets – bringing local manufacturing into Europe.
We’ve got new manufacturing facilities coming online, with one expected to begin operations in Q3 this year. More will follow in early 2026, both within the EU and further afield.
We’re also setting up regional logistics hubs and partnering with installers to offer a full supply-and-install service – covering piling, framing, and module installation.
Our core design and engineering team will remain in the UK, but we’ll hire multilingual experts to support local markets. We also have a commercial and residential product line, stocked by distributors in the UK.
We’re working to establish European stockists so we can offer next-day delivery for projects up to 2MW – serving the C&I and residential segments too.
Your outdoor stand at Intersolar was eye-catching – can you talk to us more about it, and the feedback you received?
Joseph: Intersolar was immensely successful for us, even though it started as a bit of a fluke. We only booked the outdoor space because indoor slots were full, and we were told that having any presence would help us secure an indoor space next year.
At first, we didn’t plan to do much with it. But once we were listed, we started getting messages from clients and prospects saying they planned to visit us. With six weeks to go, our marketing team pulled everything together, and the stand ended up being packed for all three days.
We had strong interest from existing clients who want to work with us in Europe, as well as new prospects and even project funders. Interestingly, we didn’t display a product due to space limitations, but that actually worked in our favour. People came to have serious discussions – they already knew what we offer.
In the past, we’ve unveiled innovations at shows and then seen similar concepts appear elsewhere not long after. So this year, the focus was on conversations and partnerships rather than the product itself.
It was incredibly validating to see how far we’ve come. Some of the companies visiting us are ones I used to cold-call when I joined SOLARPORT many years ago. Now they’re seeking us out.
It’s shaped how we’ll approach trade shows in the future, where we’ll have more focus on facilitating high-quality, targeted meetings.
As a PV mounting systems company, what’s your unique perspective on where the international solar industry should be heading?
Joseph: We need to move away from short-term thinking. There’s an enormous opportunity in solar, but we should be focused on building long-lasting, high-quality assets.
These installations power homes and businesses – they should be something we’re proud to see still standing in 40 or 50 years.
Mounting systems are often treated like a commodity, but they’re fundamental to a project’s success. Material specification, durability, and engineering all play a vital role. If a mounting system fails, the whole project suffers. That’s why we’re not afraid to walk away from jobs where quality is being compromised.
I’d like to see asset owners take a more active role in specifying materials and suppliers. They have to live with these systems for 40+ years, so having things like pre-approved supplier whitelists could help maintain quality standards across the industry.
On sustainability, we’re pushing for more responsible use of materials. Steel isn’t the greenest material, but it’s the best we have for performance and longevity presently.
We’re optimising designs to use less material and were the first in the UK to purchase green steel for solar projects. While costs are still high, they’re coming down, and we’re seeing a broader shift toward greener production methods like electric arc furnaces using recycled steel.
We now have an internal ESG team and aim to lead the market in sustainable mounting solutions. Ultimately, we want to build solar farms that matter – projects that are built to last with the right materials and values behind them.
