The cost of solar and renewable energy has plummeted over the past decade, with the trend looking set to continue. In many countries, the solar industry is already subsidy-free and out-competing traditional fossil fuel sources such as gas and coal. However, success is never without its challenges. Grid constraints and planning remain troublesome, and ecological considerations appear vulnerable to unchecked development. The question today isn’t ‘how do we do renewable energy?’, it’s ‘how do we do renewable energy right?’
An incomplete model
There is no time like the present for those looking to invest in renewable energy, with the financial and technical models meeting to offer an attractive and reliable ROI. However, expertise is often spread thin across the industry, forcing investors to rely on multiple contractors for even simple projects.
Some installations could involve a dozen or more stakeholders all working in isolation and with competing interests. This can result in inflated costs, unclear liabilities, and shifting deadlines. When Ethical Power started out in the renewable energy industry, they often found that sites were overcrowded with competing stakeholders and subcontractors working without a common aim.
Construction times and project complexity frequently grew due to communication breakdowns or hazy interface issues. This would often lead to poorer build quality, reduced output over time, and greater maintenance costs. The project lifetime itself could also be compromised.
An industry based on the sustainable use of natural resources shouldn’t waste so many of its own resources in the process. A new model for renewable development was needed, one which would focus on efficiency and quality above all else. This is how the Ethical Power vision was born; to build the UK’s first vertically integrated renewable energy provider.
