Installing battery storage should be the first step on any homeowner’s solar journey.
GivEnergy MD, Dave Roberts made the comments in an interview with Solar & Storage Xtra.
Dave was speaking following Solar & Storage Live London at which GivEnergy exhibited on April 29 and 30, 2024.
He was also asked about opportunities for the UK solar market over the next 12 months, and the importance of attending events like Solar & Storage Live.
Watch Dave’s interview via the link or read on for a transcript.
For those about to begin their solar journey, why would you advise to start with battery storage?
“It’s traditional to start the journey to clean energy with solar panels. But now, battery storage is really the key part of the ecosystem.
It’s the quickest return on investment, meaning it’s the smallest amount of cash to pay out to get the quickest return.
It’s also essential to have a battery to maximise the benefits from your solar panels or your heat pump. Battery storage enables people to:
- Use green electricity produced from the grid
- Store it at their property when they buy at the cheapest rates
- Power their house through the day
I guess the final point is that battery storage allows for energy independence. So, if the grid goes down entirely, you can use the backup of the battery to power your house.”
What are three major opportunities for the UK solar market in the next 12 months?
“One of the biggest things we believe in as a business is the fairness of the energy market.
Right now, the way it works is the more wealthy you are, the more cheaply you can buy electricity. We think that’s broken.
We need to enable people at the lower end of the income scale, such as those in social housing, to benefit from EV rate tariffs. This means they’ll be able to buy electricity at the cheapest price.
We need to empower those on lower incomes to have their own solar panels and battery storage systems. This means that while they’re at work during the day, they can generate and store their own energy to use when they get home.
Another important part of the puzzle is enabling heat pumps to work. This requires coordination between solar, battery storage, and heat pumps.
As an industry, we weren’t ready for the last boom. We know there’s another boom coming. We all need to be prepared with our people, software, infrastructure, etc. to be able to service the market when demand really takes off again.”
Who did you speak to at Solar & Storage Live?
“Firstly, installers. I do a lot of work with our direct customers, distributors and wholesalers. But really, the installers are the lifeblood of what we do. So, this has been a great chance to meet the installers and get a lot of really good feedback. We’ll make sure to learn from that and use it to inform our evolving business strategy.
Secondly, and this one’s a bit weird, I’ve seen what I like to call ‘frenemies’. These are people we compete with but, at the same time, can actually work together with. The people that do similar products are actually friends. We can kind of sensibly collaborate and learn from each other to make the industry better.
And of course, there’s always existing customers looking to chat to us, as well as potential new customers seeking information.”
Why is it important to be at Solar & Storage Live London and why are events like this so important?
“In my opinion, and perhaps I’m slightly biased, we are the biggest and the best. So, it’s important to lead by example by being here.
I think Solar & Storage Live is a great connection point for customers old and new.
Interacting, gathering feedback, and teaching customers what’s coming around the corner are all valuable elements of events like this. It’s also an opportunity to interact with people who don’t yet know who we are. That can include solar panel manufacturers, distributors, etc. Overall, it’s just a great opportunity to connect.”
Further reading
- Home backup power: why solar panels alone aren’t enough
- Standalone battery storage without solar: the unsung hero of energy freedom?
- Solar installers: here are 3 reasons you should ALSO install home batteries
- Why EVERY solar power installation should have battery storage
- Solar panels and battery cost: 5 questions answered
- ‘How much solar storage do I need?’ An easy 3-step guide
