electric vehicle charging at a school

EV charging grant for schools, and other funding updates

There’s been a lot happening in the EV charging space recently, in terms of initiatives to encourage electric vehicle adoption and the installation of EV charging infrastructure. Here’s our round up of the key highlights and specifics to have on your radar, when it comes to EV charging grants and funding measures.

 

EV charging grant for schools

The Department for Transport has recently increased the amount education institutions (including schools, colleges, academy trusts, and nurseries) can receive to install electric vehicle chargepoints.

The schools grant is part of the Workplace Charging Scheme and it’s open to all state-funded schools and educational institutions. It covers up to 75% of the cost of the purchase and install of EV chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket. That’s a significant rise from the previous £350.

Schools and educational settings can use the grant to install as many as 40 EV chargepoints across all sites. This is a great way to boost chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors. The Department for Transport has also advised that schools could use the chargepoints to generate revenue, by making them available to the public.

To be eligible to apply, any school or educational setting needs to have dedicated off-street parking facilities. You can make an application online here.

Our Joju Charging team can also talk you through the schools grant application process, if you’d like to get in touch.

Independent schools can apply for funding too, through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets. 

 

 

LEVI update

We’ve been sharing news and supporting councils with information for applications for the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. The government is delivering £381 million to local authorities across the country, for the rollout of EV charging infrastructure to support drivers across the UK. The first capital payments for charging projects have been approved for local authorities including Bedford, East Sussex, North Yorkshire and the London boroughs of Hackney and Hounslow.

Here at Joju Charging, we’re also helping to bring EV charging to more rural areas in Dorset as part of a LEVI funded pilot. If you’re a local authority looking to reach more of your communities with EV charging infrastructure, do subscribe to our mailing list to hear more about a licence agreement we’ve created that could speed things up. The agreement enables tier 1 authorities to roll out EV charging networks across their areas, in association with sub authorities and even with the private sector. This framework has been over a year in the making, and we now have it for more of our local authority clients to benefit from.

 

 

Supporting EV chargepoint procurement

Through LEVI capability funding, almost 100 EV officers have been recruited to support chargepoint procurement. They will also help local authorities build teams to deliver EV charging projects. An electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course will be open to all local authorities from mid-March as well, after a successful trial.

The government is also launching a consultation to look at speeding up charge point installation across the county. Proposals would mean street works could be carried out using a permit (rather than a licence), which can be issued much faster.

 

Don’t forget ORCS!

Local authorities can also still access the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). We’re always happy to talk through the application process with you.

 

 

A welcome drive to go electric

With the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that the UK achieved the million EV’s on the road milestone in early February, we welcome all measures to support local authorities and drivers to make the switch to electric. As EVIE’s Contractor of the Year, Joju Charging is always ready to support with the design and installation of reliable, robust EV Charging infrastructure.

Electric vehicles on UK roads to reach one million

Some good news for January! The number of battery electric vehicles on UK roads is expected to hit one million this month, according to the latest analysis.

The facts and figures

The RAC Foundation has announced that over 967,000 electric vehicles were licensed at the end of November. That’s up from 674,000 at the end of 2022. The figures are based on data from green consultancy, New AutoMotive.

Electric Vehicles currently make up 3% of all cars on UK roads and comprise 16% of the new car market. Government figures also show a 41% increase in first time registrations.

Encouraging electric vehicle growth

Growth is set to continue year on year under the Government’s zero-emission vehicles mandate (ZEV), which became law on January 3rd, 2024. It means that at least 22% of all new cars sold by each car manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission. That’s alongside 10% of all new vans.

This threshold will rise annually until it reaches 100% by 2035. Last September, Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030.

Manufacturers failing to meet these annual thresholds will need to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting vehicle sold above the limits.

Meeting the need with EV charging infrastructure

Of course, more EV’s on the road means more charging infrastructure is needed. There are currently over 50,000 public chargepoints in the UK, with Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Anthony Browne, citing that the charging network has already grown 44% since this time last year.

Joju Charging is working with local authorities up and down the country to bring more EV charge points online for EV drivers to charge their vehicles. Graeme Patton, Head of EV Charging at Joju, commented:

“It’s fantastic to see the growing number of drivers making the switch to electric vehicles and to be reaching the landmark of 1 million EV’s on the road this month. The challenge is to make sure there is enough infrastructure for people to charge when they’re out and about, whether that’s in public car parks, at on street chargepoints, destination, or en route. We’ll be continuing to partner with Councils across the UK to make that happen”.

With the Department of Transport aiming to hit 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, and Government investment of over £2billion to support the transition to electric, Graeme also added:

“Whilst we wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) to help councils with their infrastructure roll outs, the key is to have the right chargepoints, with the right speeds, in the right locations, to meet the needs of residents and visitors. Joju Charging is perfectly placed to support local authorities with this challenge, based on our extensive experience in the sector.”

Further reading

For more information, read our EV Charging case studies, or head to our Joju Charging pages.

You can also get in touch with us here.

Tesla battery install VAT exemption

UK government extends VAT relief on battery storage

Good news alert! The UK government has revealed plans to give further VAT relief on energy storage batteries from February 1st, 2024. The move extends beyond previous VAT relief, which was limited to batteries installed alongside solar panels. The policy now includes standalone battery installations and retrofitted batteries as well.

Battery storage exempt from VAT

What exactly is changing?

In its 2022 Spring Statement, the government announced the expansion of VAT relief on energy-saving materials (ESMs). Following industry calls, the government launched a ‘Call for Evidence’ (CfE) seeking views on potential areas of further reform. As a direct result of the response, the government is expanding VAT relief to include:

  • Electrical battery storage
  • Water-source heat pumps
  • Diverters retrofitted to Energy Saving Materials, like solar panels and wind turbines

 

What’s included from a battery storage perspective?

The following is now subject to VAT relief:

  • Standalone battery storage

Battery storage that is fitted without solar will now be exempt from 20% VAT.

  • Retrofit batteries

A battery retrofitted to an existing solar array will also now be exempt from 20% VAT.

  • Battery storage added alongside solar PV

A battery or batteries fitted at the same time as solar panels will still be exempt from 20% VAT.

Our reaction

Dr Chris Jardine, Joju Solar’s Co-founder and Technical Director commented:

“Battery storage is a crucial part of the UK’s clean energy transition, and this is a move that’s positively welcomed by Joju Solar. Homeowners should never have been penalised for doing things in stages, and it’s great that people won’t now have to have all the funds in one go to save 20% on battery installs. We hope the move will encourage greater energy self-sufficiency in homes across the UK, and that we’ll see more and more households invest in energy storage as a result, leading to a growth in the sustainable technologies that are critical for a cleaner, greener future for all.”

If you were thinking of getting battery storage for your home, or adding to your existing system, but were put off by the price, it will soon be 20% cheaper – and that’s something to feel good about.  

More about batteries

To find out more about our battery storage solutions, please head here.

Joju Charging scoop EVIEs ‘Contractor of the Year’

We’re proud to share that last week, we won Contractor of the Year (C&I and Public) at the prestigious EVIEs, for the third time in four years.

The Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards recognise the very best in the EV industry, and it’s an honour to take home the title again this year.

In 2023, we’ve installed lots and saved tonnes! 

According to Zapmap, this past year we’ve installed 14% of all public charge points – a mix of fast and rapid chargers in public car parks, and on-street infrastructure. We’ve saved 4,000 tonnes of CO2 and 48 tonnes of NOx. We’ve supported Hammersmith and Fulham to expand their on-street network. Every resident is within 400 metres of a charge point and EV ownership has increased by 67%. Our work with Dorset Council has helped to put them in the top 20% of areas for charge point availability and as well as infrastructure for residents/visitors, we’re helping councils transition their fleets so community services are powered by renewable sources. This is critical for improving air quality and reducing CO2.

We specialise in infrastructure for atypical vehicles. A standout partnership has been working with Islington Council at their Waste Recycling Centre, and 10 other sites in the borough. The council’s ambition is inspirational, and we’ve now electrified over 70 bays for use by buses, waste trucks, tippers and other vehicles. All works took place with zero operational disruption.

We’ve further developed EV Charging Infrastructure across sensitive operational police, ambulance, fire stations and control centres. We’ve supported more workplaces with EVCI, to encourage EV uptake this year. We’ve also helped public and private sector organisations maximise underutilised spaces by installing solar car ports, to charge vehicles and power buildings.

Our first-of-its-kind ‘EV Insights’ group is now 3 years old, and it facilitates the pooling of best practice.

On social media it’s been said that we stand out by being “in it for the right reasons”. Our mission is to help communities, homeowners and workplaces cut carbon, and that will always be the case.

The reaction

Joju’s CEO, Joe Michaels, said:

“It’s a genuine honour for Joju Charging to win Contractor of the Year at the EVIEs for the third time. Once again, the credit goes to our hardworking team. Their passion for helping public sector and commercial organisations achieve their net zero carbon ambitions is second to none. We also want to say a huge thank you to our clients, customers, and partners, and congratulate our clients Islington Council and the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, who received shortlist recognition”.

Joju’s Head of EV, Graeme Patton, also commented:

“It’s amazing to win Contractor of the Year for the third time in four years, and it really is testament to the hard work of our teams, who are always looking for ways to continuously improve and lead the charge every day. To make the shift to electric vehicles people need more EV charging infrastructure, and helping the public sector deliver this is at the very heart of what we do… whether it’s helping local authority fleets transition, or providing more public charge points. It’s great to be recognised for the quality and innovation of our design and delivery across the board, from councils to commercial workplaces”.

Get in touch

If you’re thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle, or if you’re a public sector or commercial organisation working towards net zero, do get in touch with us – or explore our website to find out more about our approach.

Discover more

Check out our EV charging approach

Find out more about our projects with public sector organisations

Want EV charging at work? Read more here

Browse our EV case studies

Prioritisation and myenergi products

myenergi, who make the zappi smart EV charger and eddi hot water diverter, have made their products compatible and configurable with batteries.

Why is this good news? Well, not all smart EV chargers and solar hot water diverters are compatible with home battery storage, and using incompatible products can lead to odd things happening with your setup. You may find your home battery is discharging surplus energy into your hot water tank when you don’t want it to, for instance!

 

Getting your priorities right

The main products that can be installed alongside a solar array all perform a similar function. They control the storing of solar energy for use later on.

Home batteries divert surplus solar into a static battery wired to your house for use at night.

Smart EV chargers divert surplus solar into your car battery or can fast charge.

Hot water diverters divert surplus solar into your hot water cylinder with various boost options.

Which bit of kit gets the energy first though, and why? Well, when we install your system, we set up the prioritisation in the following way:

  1. Home batteries

Home batteries provide power to your house when your electricity is at its most expensive so we set the home battery to be charged first from any surplus solar. If you don’t use much power at peak times, that’s OK… the batteries will fill up quickly and then your solar can power the next item on your priority list. It’s also self-regulating so once it’s set up, you can leave it to do its thing!

2.  Smart EV chargers (like zappi)

Smart EV chargers can be set to charge your car at full power, or just with surplus solar. For us, the car is second on the priority list because you’ll probably have the option of charging your car on a cheap electricity tariff at night, at full power. Even if you don’t have a cheap night-time electricity rate, it’s still wise to charge at full power after midnight. This way, the car charges from surplus solar in the day (if there is enough surplus solar) and if a top up is needed, it comes from the battery at night. The system is self-regulating and you don’t need to think about it, or make any predictions on a daily basis.

 3. Hot water diverters (like eddi)

These are set to come on after your home battery and car battery are full, or if your car is not at home and plugged in. They should be the third priority because there are normally two cheaper ways to heat hot water. Your boiler or heat pump will be cheaper per kWh than electricity during the day. Also, you may have the option of heating hot water at night on a cheaper rate.

If you heat your hot water with a gas boiler, fitting an eddi will reduce the amount of gas you consume. The gas boiler should be on a timer to heat your water early in the morning as well as later at night when the sun goes down. Surplus solar will heat the tank in the day. If it’s not that sunny, the boiler will make up the difference. As with the smart EV charger, it’s self-regulating and will automatically adjust for different amounts of sunshine and electricity usage.

If you heat your water with a heat pump, it works in a similar way to a boiler. The heat pump uses 1 unit of electricity to make 3 – 5 units of heat, so it’s cheaper than using direct-acting electricity during the day. Heat pumps also heat water on a timer, so surplus solar can be diverted to a cylinder in the day and the heat pump can make up any difference in the evening and early morning.

 

The difference between Eco and Eco+ on zappi

If you’ve got a zappi, you might have noticed the ECO and ECO+ settings. Here’s the difference between them.

  • ECO: Your zappi will detect when surplus solar starts going to the grid and divert that to the car. As zappi needs at least 1.4 kW to charge the car, with this mode it will top up the difference all the way to 1.4 kW. The difference will come from either the battery or the grid.
  • ECO +: Your zappi will detect when surplus solar starts going to the grid. On ECO + mode, the zappi will only start to charge the car once there is more than 1.4 kW surplus solar. This means that only free solar energy is charging the car. It will take longer to charge the car, but it will be 100% free. Some solar will be exported to the grid (when the surplus is less that 1.4 kW) but as long as you have set up your Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and get paid for exports to the grid, this can be a positive.

Also, if your zappi is set to ECO+, eddi with take surplus power up to 1.4 kW until zappi kicks in to charge your car.

 

Setting your own priorities for batteries, zappi and eddi

If you’re installing the kit yourself, or if it’s already been installed by another contractor without any prioritisation set, here’s how to do it and remember, all methods for setting priorities are done on the myenergi products rather than the batteries.

  • Select “avoid drain” in the zappi or eddi menu. This avoids draining the battery via either the zappi or the eddi. For this to work, Joju installs a CT clamp (or sensor) on the battery AC cable.  It’s also possible to choose “avoid drain and charge”. This avoids charging the home battery until your EV or hot water is fully charged, although that wouldn’t be our best advice. The other option is to set a 20 second delay in eddi or zappi settings before it starts diverting surplus solar. It’s not always possible to fit a CT clamp round the AC cable supplying the battery (for instance if the battery is DC coupled). If there is no battery CT then the delay will allow the battery to fully charge. When the battery is fully charged and there has been a consistent export to the grid for 20 seconds, eddi or zappi will start to divert surplus solar power to the hot water tank or EV respectively.
  • There are two ways to set priorities for zappi and eddi

 

  1. Using the app

Touch on the eddi icon and draw it anti clockwise to below the zappi icon. This will also change priority and make zappi priority 1.

  1. Using the hardware

Go to the leader (or master) unit which could be zappi or eddi. Go to other settings, advanced, linked devices, devices and give zappi priority 1 and eddi priority 2.

 

The kit itself – are zappi chargers worth it?

If you have solar or are thinking about getting solar panels in the future, then zappi is definitely worth it. They might be slightly more expensive than a dumb EV charge point but offer brilliant savings by varying the amount of power that goes to your car, depending on how much surplus solar there is. For typical solar installations, it will be possible to run an EV on pure sunlight for much of the year.

As mentioned, zappi is also compatible and configurable with home battery storage.

 

Are eddi hot water diverters worth it?

eddi is a fantastic bit of kit. Here’s our view on when it works best for you:

  1. When you have lots of surplus solar that would have gone to the grid
  2. When you don’t get paid much for exporting to the grid
  3. If it’s expensive to heat water in other ways
  4. If you want to be as self-sufficient as possible
  5. If you like new technology and want to tinker by linking to variable tariffs (e.g. Flexible Octopus

eddi isn’t the best option if:

  1. You have a small solar array and most of the energy is used by the property as soon as its generated, because eddi will be idle for most of the year
  2. You have a medium sized array that generates roughly what you consume in a year, as well as a battery. Most of the surplus energy will go into the battery so eddi will be idle for much of the year
  3. You get a good export tariff that is more than you pay to heat your water. Some export tariffs are pretty good now, so it may make sense to allow surplus solar to go to the grid, get paid for it, and heat your hot water in the normal way.

 

 Linking myenergi products to smart tariffs, like Octopus Agile

We’re often asked if zappi and eddi are capable of linking to smart tariffs like Octopus Agile, and the answer is yes!

These tariffs track the wholesale price of electricity. Prices per kWh can go very low and even into the negative, which means Octopus pay you for using electricity at certain times. zappi and eddi can be set to charge when the price goes below a certain level you set. This technology has fantastic potential to help stabilise the grid and save you money and will be even more important as we get more renewables installed all over the country.

Last winter the National Grid spent £10 billion balancing the grid. This technology, which is already installed in thousands of homes could be your route to receiving some of that. You’ll be charging your car and heating water when there is a surplus of renewable energy on the grid as a whole. This could be from offshore wind or large, ground mounted solar arrays.  However, we don’t recommend relying on this feature alone to justify investing quite yet, unless you’re someone who loves to tinker! It’s not well supported by either Octopus or myenergi at this stage. In addition, Octopus say:

Our smart products are 12-monthly tariffs, and they can and will be updated from time to time. That’s why we don’t recommend relying on any one tariff to justify an investment in technology such as home battery storage or electric heat and hot water systems over many years.”

 

Get in touch 

We’d love to help you with your solar, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure needs.

Get in touch with our highly experienced team and we can help to reduce your carbon emissions and save you money together.

LEVI is live!

We’ve heard some great news this past week for the future of public EV Charging Infrastructure and help for local authorities to realise their EV charging ambitions.

About LEVI

LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) funding supports local authorities in England to plan and deliver charge point infrastructure for residents without off-street parking through:

  • Capital funding to support charge point delivery
  • Capability funding to ensure local authorities have the staff and capability to plan and deliver charge point infrastructure.

Tier 1 local authorities can now apply for 2023/4 and 2024/25 funding by completing their Expression of Interest and emailing it to LEVI@est.org.uk by 11.55pm on 26 May, 2023 – and Joju is here to support you.

EV Insights – April 19, 10am-12noon

We are holding an online event for local authorities on April 19th where you can hear more from Aaron Berry, Deputy Head, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (energy and infrastructure), Department for Transport, and ask questions.

We will also hear from some local authorities who have made successful applications in the first phase of funding and we’ll share more about how we can help you with the application process. If you have been awarded funds, we can also help you get from award to successful design and implementation.

 

 

If you are working in a local authority on EV Charging Infrastructure, you haven’t received an invite and you would like to join our ‘EV Insights’ session, please do let us know by emailing info@joju.co.uk.

We look forward to seeing everyone there on April 19th, and to leading the charge together.

Further information

Exciting news from the E-mobility Awards

We’re proud to share that last week, Joju Charging won the best ‘E-mobility/EV charge point resellers and installers’ award at the E-mobility awards, 2023.

The awards celebrate innovation, ingenuity, and achievement in the E-mobility sector. Joju Charging has received this recognition for the second year running now, and we are absolutely delighted.

Innovation and growth

This past year, we have built on our reputation within the public sector and commercial sector, to help more organisations and businesses design and install EV charging infrastructure. We have continued to grow rapidly, yet carefully, to support over 100 Councils and numerous businesses with the transition to EV – making sure the right solutions are in place to facilitate their plans.

A great start to the year

On awards night, Chas Warlow, Joju Charging’s Head of Sales, said:

“It’s fantastic to receive this recognition… not only for Joju, but also for our clients as well, who are continuing to drive their sustainability plans forward with the ongoing installation of reliable EV Charging infrastructure”.

Head of EV Charging, Graeme Patton, commented:

“Joju Charging’s aim is always to be at the forefront of the drive for sustainable transport, making it as accessible as we can, in partnership with our clients. This award is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our teams at Joju Charging, from Sales, Account Management and Design, to Project Management and Installation”.

It’s been a great start to the year, and we now continue the hard work to get as many charge points in the ground as possible.

Discover more

Read more about EV Charging for the Public Sector

Find out more about our approach to EV Charging for Business 

Solar car ports – time for under-utilised space to shine?

Making use of under-utilised space to reduce carbon emissions in the commercial or public sector is one of the areas we’ve been exploring. More specifically, how installing solar car ports in car parks can demonstrate a link between renewables and electric mobility – and help towards the achievement of sustainability goals.

An increasing demand

At Joju, we’re seeing an increasing demand for integrating EVCP provision with renewables, especially solar. We’ve joined forces with Flexisolar on two recent projects, to help create solar car ports that reduce carbon emissions and that can power EV Charging infrastructure.

A space reborn in Coventry

In 2022, Bourn (previously known as Sherbourne House), was repurposed as a workspace and destination. It’s form and functionality was refreshed, with the core values of this six-storey, 90,330 sq ft building being “to encourage and support behaviours which are good for its people, the place and the planet”.

That was according to Rob Hemus, Asset Director for IM Properties, and the solar car port is certainly part of the “planet” piece. The car port structure houses 36 double bays and is topped with 228 PV modules, giving a total installed capacity of 94.62kWp. The system is connected through the floor, with the inverter housed below the structure, and the predicted CO2 emissions avoided are 37,066 kg/year.

 

 

Solar for South Staffordshire Council

South Staffordshire District Council also took the plunge, with a 40m long solar carport installed at their offices, over 10 existing parking spaces. The ‘V’ leg structure features a 32.175kWp PV system including 99 panels, a Solis inverter, and an estimated annual energy generation of 26,963 kWh. The car port compliments the installed EV Charge points by offsetting onsite electricity demand, and we have more car port installations with similar goals happening in 2023.

 

 

To top it all off…

Talking of under-utilised space and car parks, a very different approach was taken by our client, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The Council set aside the top deck of one of their little-used multi storey car parks, for solar and EVCPs.

We installed 5 dual Alfens, 87kW solar, and 3 Tesla Powerwalls at Wellgate Multistorey. That’s what we call thinking outside the concrete box..  or should that be on top of it?

 

 

Does installing a solar car port stack up?

When it comes to carports, they can be connected to a building supply or have their own independent connection and although both are technically feasible, are they a way to make under-utilised space productive from an economic point of view?

In short, it is still more cost effective to install solar PV on traditional roof spaces. The carport structure has to be built and there are associated civil engineering costs. The support structure is already in place on existing buildings, of course. However, not all roofs are suitable for solar, or a building may already have solar installed, and utilising car parking space can be a great way to boost additional onsite generation.

Also, solar carports are clear flagship projects – a way for solar and your green credentials to be very visible (which isn’t always the always the case on roof installs).

A growing market

In essence, solar carports can demonstrate a real link between renewables and electric mobility, and contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals. A wide range of design strategies are possible, and car ports can be an additional way of generating solar energy.

When it comes to this type of under-utilised space, we’re predicting a growth in solar carport popularity and an opportunity to shine in the right public sector and commercial spaces.

 

Discover more

Contact us to talk about solar car ports in public sector or commercial spaces

Read more about Rotherham

Discover more about solar PV and EV charging the Public Sector

Discover more about solar PV and EV charging for business 

Glory at GREENFLEET

We’re proud to share that Joju Charging has won Charging Infrastructure Provider of The Year at the GREENFLEET Awards 2022.

The awards recognise clean fleet innovation in over 20 categories and the event is one of the most anticipated in the calendar.

The award

Charging Infrastructure Provider of the Year, sponsored by Paythru, recognises the efforts of vehicle charging and refuelling infrastructure providers, and the progress made in rolling out low carbon infrastructure across the UK. We were initially shortlisted alongside ElectrAssure Ltd, Energy Superhub Oxford – EDF Renewables UK & Oxford City Council, InstaVolt, Vital EV Solutions, Mer Fleet Services, ChargedEV, and ChargePoint.

The highlights

This year at Joju Charging, we have increased projects sold by 230 per cent, meeting increased levels of demand through careful expansion. We’re working with over 100 different local authorities, councils, and other public bodies on various charging projects. These range from scoping studies through to EV infrastructure installation and after care, in addition to our work with many commercial customers. We also specialise in Bluelight EV charging infrastructure.

The reaction

Our Co-founder and Technical Director, Dr Chris Jardine, said:

“We’re absolutely delighted to receive this recognition and would like to thank all our clients. It’s a privilege to work together to reduce carbon emissions in the fleet sector and beyond. It’s been part of our mission for 16 years, and we’re committed to do even more next year”.

Graeme Patton, Head of Delivery (EV Charging), commented:

“We’re incredibly proud of our EV team. From sales and account management, to design, project management, installation, and O&M, the team works tirelessly, often behind the scenes, so it’s great to get this recognition”.

If you’re a public sector or commercial organisation working towards net zero, do get in touch with us – or explore our website to find out more about our approach.

Discover more 

Check out our EV charging approach

Read more about our work with the public sector

Browse our EV case studies

An iconic and award-winning install

Installing solar PV on Salisbury Cathedral was always iconic… and now it’s award-winning too!

We’ve just won the Alan Clark Award for Local/Community Energy at the Solar and Storage Live Awards, 2021 – and it’s an honour to receive it.

Community energy is something we’ve championed from the very beginning. It’s at the heart of who we are. We built the first community share-funded solar installation back in 2008, and the schemes are a fantastic way of getting renewable energy projects built at scale, within a local area, with local shareholders benefitting from the income generated.

Solar on Salisbury Cathedral

In the case of Salisbury Cathedral, a new group, Salisbury Community Energy, approached the Cathedral and we became involved via the Schools Energy Coop. We came up with a design that met the ecclesiastic planning committee’s stringent requirements and once approved, it was full steam ahead with the install.

You can read about the project in more detail here and as the Bishop of Salisbury put it,

“With clear purpose and helpful partnerships even iconic buildings can make a difference towards sustainability.”

Being recognised for our part in this historic project, alongside Salisbury Community Energy, certainly means a lot to us.

FIND OUT MORE