When the government incentivised solar power, there was a rush to听embrace the 鈥榚nergy of the future鈥�.听
Farmers and landowners,听eyeing听an untapped source of听clean and cheap听energy, installed solar panels听鈥撎�also听known as photovoltaics, or PV 鈥� to听capture the sun’s energy and convert it into听renewable听electricity they听could听use听on site and even sell back to the grid.听
Yet for some,听it听would become a source of intense frustration as ageing systems lost their efficiency and perhaps even broke down completely, costing听thousands of pounds with听seemingly nobody to turn to for help.听
It did not escape the notice of a听group of听engineers听who听worked in the sector.听
鈥淲e looked after large utility sites and were getting more and more farmer families, who had听spent听their own money on assets听in fields,听on barn roofs and buildings,听contacting听us听saying听鈥�the installers听are no longer around, the kit听isn’t working,听we鈥�re听losing considerable sums…听can you help us out, please?鈥�鈥� Simon Hopkins听tells听老九品茶Cloud.听
鈥�We were talking听around the pool table听about how听the only way to听fix this听efficiently听was through听remote monitoring, like听the systems听we installed and worked with at听the large facility sites.听
鈥淗owever, we were听frustrated with these听platforms听and wanted them听to produce more details than听they听were听capable of听doing.听So听we said:听well, why don’t we build our own platform?听We know how to get the communications off a site听鈥撎�we听just need a software engineer to code everything up how we like it.听听
鈥�We built the platform from the ground up.鈥�听
That was three years ago 鈥� 鈥�back when I had hair!鈥� Hopkins jokes 鈥� and the start of听.听
Based in听Lincoln, its HIT Energy Guard solution calculates the expected output of a solar PV system every hour听鈥撎齮aking into account听factors such as weather and time of year 鈥�听compared to the actual output.听If the amount of energy produced drops, even for a short time, HIT is notified of the cause and sends an engineer to rectify the problem before it escalates.听听
At a cost of around a pound a day听for the subscription service, it could save users hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year.听
鈥淟ast year farmers were hit with floods; they were hit with COVID; they听were听hit with a bad harvest;听they’re getting hit with Brexit; but听the sun will always shine,鈥� says technical director Hopkins.听
“Once they have solar installed,听it means that can meet their own electricity needs and sell some back to the grid.听
鈥淏ut if听it鈥檚 running at 60-70 per cent efficiency, they might not听even听meet their own needs听鈥� and听have to draw off the grid.鈥�听
HIT Energy Services – from a pool table to a top-10 UK EnviroTech company
The innovation听also has global potential, with the ability to connect system owners in the UK and anywhere in the world with access to solar panels and an internet connection.听听
鈥淭he panel can be installed anywhere:听it听runs on a SIM card,鈥� explains Hopkins.听鈥淧rovided that you can get a phone connection or an internet connection, it will work. Some of some of the听really remote听sites that we have run on 2G!听
鈥�We’ve built a robust system which can take another thousand connections on it tomorrow if necessary.鈥�听
is now working with hundreds of farmers and business owners who have over 拢16.5 million of assets between them, powering around 3,500 homes.听Several big utility companies are also plugging its APIs into their reporting platforms, thanks to the level of detail coming off the sites.听
鈥泪t’s generating complex technical analysis of the performance,鈥� says Hopkins.听鈥淲hen their听engineers are on site, the details have filtered into their tablets already.鈥�听
High demand听for the technology听in听Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex听led HIT to听open a satellite office in Bury St. Edmunds, while it recently opened a further base in Worcester.听There are听also听plans to launch in听Taunton听to look after听business in听Devon, Cornwall and into South Wales, with European expansion following.听
The company, seventh on听our听Midlands Tech 50 innovation ranking听last year,听has also moved its HQ into听Lincoln University听to听further听develop听its听hardware.听
鈥淲e鈥檝e won numerous tech and innovation awards听鈥撎�and听we’re just a bunch of lads that knew what was听needed and put in a lot of hard work,鈥� Hopkins says.听
鈥淵ou do have some dark days where, you know, it’s tough.听It听takes听grit and determination.听But听when听you get through it, and the platform is 100 per cent yours… I鈥檓听very, very happy that way.听
鈥淲hen we spoke about it around the pool table, we had two or three sites to put on to the platform; we’ve got over 150 now within three years.鈥�听
Energy