It was a proud moment for me earlier this month when, at a grand awards ceremony at the NEC, SunGift was announced at the UK Solar PV Installer of the Year.  It’s a constant source of pride for me when I see the hundreds of customer endorsements that we receive, repeat business and 5-star ratings on YouGen – but to be recognised by experts in the solar PV trade is another wonderful feeling entirely.

Our success doesn’t mean that we will be resting on our laurels though.  Solar PV advancement is moving fast, and I’m resolute that we will continue to innovate, employ the most technically-gifted staff and search the world for the most advanced technologies so that you, our customers, will always receive the very best service and products.

The lights don’t need to go out!

This week there has been a worrying message in the media that the UK’s electricity capacity could be so low this winter that there may be electricity blackouts (BBC).  It’s a worrying thought – particularly as the south west has the lowest level of power generation in the UK (BBC Spotlight) – and it’s something that, in the years to come, could be more prevalent as fossil fuels become scarce.

However, as battery storage solutions become more advanced and reliable, for those households and businesses that generate your own renewable electricity, this does not need to be the case.   Imagine your solar panels generating energy throughout the day and then your SMART energy storage system directing power to your appliances that require it the most, rather than having to rely on electricity from a huge power station.  That’s why we’re working hard to test and optimise electricity storage solutions for the UK.

We’re recently provided domestic solar panels for customers throughout the south west and commercial solar panels for companies such as Quickes Cheese and Gregory Distribution (who use all of the energy onsite that their systems generate) and increasing numbers of households are becoming self-sufficient in terms of their energy usage.  With the rising worry of power cuts (and rising energy prices), we expect to see many more customers like this in the coming months and years.

Other highlights this month include a video case study of a SunGift customer whose whole family have trusted us to carry out their PV installations, new SunGift surveyor Nick, a luxury installation at Heritage Homes, and a boost to our Big Green Referral Scheme giving you even more reasons to ‘refer your friends’.

Gabriel Wondrausch

Managing director