At Solar & Storage Live in London, 2-3 April, Solar&StorageXtra talked to Mike Gadd, Director of Renewables and Total Waste Solutions at CEF.
In his interview with Solar&StorageXtra, Mike shares insights into CEF’s proactive approach to tackling the industry’s skills shortage, the importance of supply chain sustainability, and how the business is evolving its product offering to support the transition to net zero.
As the renewables sector faces new challenges and opportunities, CEF is taking a practical, proactive approach while focusing on building skills that help drive the market forward.
Tell us a bit about CEF’s mission.
Mike: We strive to be known for great service, fantastic customer support, and accessibility through our branch network.
More specifically, when it comes to renewables, one of the major challenges we’re facing is a skills shortage in the industry. CEF recognises the need to go further – to actively drive more training opportunities and apprenticeships, and help address the skills gap that’s affecting the sector.
How can the industry encourage upskilling and attract fresh talent?
Mike: Firstly, we need to acknowledge that this challenge is far bigger than any single distributor, manufacturer, or installer. We’ve recognised that through our partnerships with organisations like the Electrical Distributors’ Association and Solar Energy UK.
We all need to train as many people as possible, in a cost-effective way, time-efficient for businesses, and with honesty about what lies ahead. While training is vital, the hard work begins afterwards – building a business in this industry.
We also need greater government support to make apprenticeships more attractive and to shift perceptions; the renewables sector offers a huge variety of roles.
It’s our job as an industry to work with government and education providers to change those perceptions and show younger generations that renewables can offer a fulfilling, future-focused career, with a niche for everyone.
How does CEF plan to address rising challenges and trends in the solar and EV industries?
Mike: Our strategy is to be proactive. That means staying ahead of trends and challenges to protect our business and keep our customers informed. We are transparent in sharing insights and issues with our clients early so we can help them manage and mitigate those challenges.
One of the biggest challenges is traceability and sustainability. We can’t promote environmentally friendly products if they’re produced in ways that harm human rights or working conditions.
We’ve invested in a fantastic in-house sustainability and supply chain team, who’ve led many of our manufacturers through sustainability scoring and transparent reporting. We insist on the right credentials before onboarding suppliers – and certainly before offering them to customers.
Another ongoing challenge is pricing and availability. We’ve experienced significant deflation over the past 18-24 months, but we’re now seeing stock shortages and inflation.
What products are you presenting at the show, and what makes them unique?
Mike: We’ve got a strong mix on the stand: solar PV panels, energy storage systems, EV charging solutions, an air source heat pump, and even thermal energy storage to complement the heat pump.
What sets us apart isn’t just the products themselves – many suppliers can offer similar ranges – but the overall package we provide.
CEF excels at bundling these products together so we can deliver a full electrical and renewables package. We handle specification and design, and we’ve got 416 branches across the UK and Ireland, plus multiple project centres for delivery.
Our team is filled with industry experts from the recycling, power infrastructure, and heating sectors. The idea is to offer a true one-stop shop, giving customers not just the products, but the knowledge, specification, design support, and the full product journey.
What are the benefits of attending Solar & Storage Live London for solar professionals?
Mike: For us, the show is a brilliant opportunity to expand our brand’s reach.
We’re often still seen purely as an electrical wholesaler – people tell us they’ve seen our vans or assumed we just sell light fittings. This show lets us have valuable, face-to-face conversations about what we do and how we can support businesses and installation departments.
It’s also a rare chance to see new brands and products, with so many people from the sector in one place.
Beyond that, it’s about showing industry solidarity. The challenges we face – particularly net zero targets – are bigger than any single business. Currently, as a sector, we’re not doing a great job of hitting those targets. Events like this give us a platform to unify, collaborate, and collectively drive the industry forward.
Missed out on Solar & Storage Live London, or want to come back for more? find a Solar & Storage Live event near you.
