As 2013 develops, we are beginning to see not just one but all aspects of renewable energy gain considerably more traction. Over the past few years there have been times when individual technologies have been ‘hot’ at any one particular time: there’ve been times when we’ve been rushed off our feet with heat pump enquiries, other times when it’s been solar PV, and months when biomass has been all the rage. Now, however, I’m pleased to say, that the majority of renewable energy technologies are flourishing – both singly and as integrated systems. The main drivers for this are both ‘carrot and stick’ – financial incentives are making renewables much more attractive, while rising energy prices are driving more of our customers to look at producing their own energy.
Passion for integrated renewables’ solutions
This is particularly exciting for me, as I have a passion for finding solutions that employ multiple renewable energy technologies, understanding how they interact together, and looking for the best way to store this energy for later use. Storing heat through heating systems has been standard practice for a long time, but a good UK system for storing and distributing electricity has been much more difficult task. Fortunately though, the new generation of energy storage solutions are very close to fruition, and we have spent a considerable amount of time discussing this with world-leaders BENQ. Countries such as Germany already have sophisticated energy storage solutions in place, but their electricity systems are very different (e.g. Germany uses three-phase electricity, in contrast to single-phase in the UK), and current UK solutions such as lead acid batteries either need changing every few years or require constant maintenance. We’ve therefore worked in collaboration with BENQ, hosted their specialists in the UK, and given considerable input into their designs for the UK market to help ensure that their designs are fit for our market.
As a result of this work with BENQ we anticipate that we will be the first installer in the UK to offer a comprehensive and reliable SMART energy storage solution later this year that will fully integrate with the technologies that we have already installed for customers.
This month, SunGift News also has an eclectic mix of stories, including new and upcoming high-profile projects, relationships with the world’s best manufacturers, a focus on the world’s fastest electric cars, completing work at the ‘Henry’ HQ, and more about our efforts to influence renewable energy policy at central government.
We’re also trying out a new newsletter format, with a shorter, more punchy email format that links through to more detailed stories online. Please let us know what you think!
Gabriel Wondrausch
Managing Director
