Solar power has grown exponentially in popularity over the last decade with the US generating over 8 times more electricity from solar energy in 2023 than in 2014 and a mind-blowing 17,800% increase in solar power usage in the UK since 2010!
We caught up with Joe Michaels, CEO of Joju Solar – the UK’s leading installers of solar PV, battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.
Joe, tell us a little about Joju Solar
Joju Solar is over 18 years old now and when we started out, our mission was to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and introduce as many people as possible to clean energy through solar power. That mission is still true today.
Over the years we’ve installed thousands of solar PV systems on homes, businesses, and in communities – for the public sector and for community energy groups. In fact, we helped start the community solar movement in the UK. The King’s Centre in Oxford was the first UK installation funded by a community share offer. We’ve even installed solar on the iconic Salisbury Cathedral. which just goes to show it’s possible to power heritage buildings with clean energy too!
We now also specialise in battery storage, and we established ‘Joju Charging’ to install Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, encouraging the switch to electric vehicles. We’ve won many awards for our work which is always welcome, but our focus is to make sure we’re part of helping everyone to change the way they create and consume energy – and that’s where community energy really comes into its own.
How important is the community energy movement in achieving sustainability goals?
It’s crucial. There are now hundreds of community energy groups, with people coming together to take meaningful action to reduce carbon emissions. Latest data from Community Energy England shows there was over 331 MW of community-owned renewable electricity in the UK alone in 2021, generating 506 GWh of electricity, saving 143,000 tCO2e annually, with £3.35m saved on energy bills. That’s a huge achievement already and projects like these are a fantastic way of getting renewable energy built at scale within a local area, owned by the local community for the benefit of that community. It’s a vision that’s very different from the past century, with a handful of corporations owning and controlling energy systems, without environmental sustainability as a primary focus.
No-one knows the localities better than community groups as well, so they can use their local knowledge to identify sites that might not have previously been considered, or sites that might not have been able to fund solar PV themselves. Schools are an obvious example, but there are many other different types of buildings like community centres, museums, and other public organisations. We’ve even installed 2MWp of community solar on a velodrome to create the largest solar roof in Wales, and we’re privileged to be part of a movement which is changing the landscape of clean energy generation.
In your experience, what social value can projects like this bring?
The social value of community energy projects is immense. Recently, our Joju team installed solar on 14 schools and colleges, a community hub, a museum, and a community council building in North Lincolnshire. One of the most rewarding parts of that project is going into schools and colleges and helping to run a series of environmental workshops. Speaking with pupils about the solar installations and the wider topic of environmental change, it’s wonderful to see the interest and levels of knowledge of young people of all ages.
A series of free, interactive community events have also been run off the back of these particular installations. These events invite the wider community to discover more about the benefits of solar energy, and to focus on sustainability topics, whilst experiencing family fun and positivity. We’ve provided free energy advice in community hubs too, and it’s great to see the focus on the value of learning opportunities for community benefit.
How can more people be encouraged to get involved in the community energy model?
Spreading the word about community energy opportunities is critical, as is sharing the benefits that these projects bring. Government support is a key factor, and in the UK, we are hopeful of what can be achieved with the new Local Power Plan, an initiative by the recently elected government, promising support for the development and scaling of community energy.
To begin with, it often takes a group of curious minds to explore opportunities outside of previous norms, but there are now plenty of examples of community groups blazing a trail and reaping the rewards for their local community and for the planet, literally putting the power back in the hands of communities. We are optimistic that there is much more on the horizon.
