SunWorks is thrilled to welcome Richard Preece to the team as our Lead Electrician & Quality Supervisor (QS). Richard recently moved to Jersey with his family, bringing over 15 years of experience as an approved electrical contractor. With a strong background in solar energy systems, battery storage and EV Charging technology, Richard is perfectly positioned to help us elevate the quality of our specialist electrical work.

“It’s great to join the SunWorks team and continue my career in solar,” says Richard. “Having been here for a few months now, I like the Jersey lifestyle and look forward to delivering high standards for the team.”

As Quality Supervisor, Richard will focus on maintaining and improving on the high standard of electrical work across the business. He will be working closely with the company’s existing electricians, implementing further training programs to ensure Sunworks continues to lead in solar technology expertise.

Richard will also engage with the NICEIC and the local electrical community, ensuring SunWorks remains the leading provider of solar and renewable energy services in the Channel Islands, while positioning the business for future commercial projects and maintenance across its expanding portfolio.

SunWorks, Jersey’s leading provider of sustainable energy solutions, is excited to announce its inaugural Solar Installation Giveaway, aimed at supporting local charities or community initiatives within the island.

Valued at up to £10,000, this initiative underscores SunWorks’ commitment to cultivate sustainability and supporting grassroots efforts in the community. Once installed, the system will produce over 5,000 units of electricity annually, amounting to yearly savings of up to £1,000, increasing as energy prices rise. . With a lifespan of over 25 years, Solar PV systems provide long-term support to the organisation by generating clean energy from the sun.

“In light of the current economic challenges and the rising costs of energy, we recognise the strain faced by local charities and community initiatives,” said Ben Spencer-Newman, Solar Surveyor at SunWorks. “With this Solar Installation Giveaway, we hope to reduce operational costs and enable these organisations to continue their vital work while shining a light on how solar technology can benefit the islands’ communities here in Jersey.”

As energy prices continue to escalate and funding for charitable organisations becomes increasingly scarce, SunWorks sought to develop a distinctive approach to support local charities by leveraging its expertise and knowledge while highlighting the benefits of technology. The Solar Installation Giveaway not only aims to reduce the carbon footprint of recipient organisations but also educate on better use of electricity to free up resources that can be redirected toward their core missions.

Ian Brandon, Co-founder & Director, remarked, “I’ve long envisioned supporting a local charity with a solar installation. I am delighted that we can utilise our skills and resources to make this happen. A significant number of charities on the mainland have benefitted greatly from charitable initiatives and government programs for access to renewable energy. We wanted to be the first here in Jersey to do our bit.”

To ensure that the selected recipient is able to fully benefit from the solar installation, SunWorks has established specific eligibility criteria. These criteria include having a suitable roof area for solar panel installation, freehold or supportive landlords, no restrictive covenants or listing issues that would hinder installation, among others. The full list of eligibility criteria will be made available publicly via SunWorks’ online channels.

The selection process for the Solar Installation Giveaway will involve accepting submissions from local charities or community initiatives starting on 1st May 2024. SunWorks will then create a shortlist of candidates, which will be put to a public vote through June and July to determine the winner in mid-August.

Stay tuned for further announcements regarding the official launch date for submissions and voting details. For more information about SunWorks and its commitment to sustainability, please visit www.sunworks.je.

Exclusive Referral scheme

Exclusive to SunWorks’ existing clients and accessed through the SolarEdge monitoring platform, this referral scheme has seen plenty of  our valued customers introduce new clients to SunWorks, earning £250 reward if the referral progresses to installation! Our business has been built on client referrals and there’s no better time to encourage your friends and family to adopt SolarEdge Solar through SunWorks.

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New staff

We’ve had some new faces join us this year. As demand grows, so does our team. We strive to recruit team members who share our passion, and who can extend and diversify our skillsets. We’ve welcomed Anthony Regan, Jack le Brun & Matthew Davy as electricians, with Luce Beardshall, Niall Le Gallais and Andrew Lempiere as Trainee Solar technicians.

In addition, Alex Pearce has returned from a sabbatical and has been appointed interim Service Delivery Manager, providing fundamental support for both the operational and installation teams.

Key Projects

We’re delighted to have been involved in some very special projects this year, including an installation for Jersey Electricty at the Parish of St Helier depot. We’ve also begun the installation of a substantial and highly bespoke system for the Government of Jersey at the new Cyril Le Marquand House site.

In addition, we have delivered solar to over 100 residential properties this year and seen the introduction of our new domestic 3 phase battery storage systems. Our 2024 Q1 diary has been taking more bookings in the last few weeks, so request a survey if you are interested in having Solar installed well ahead of summer 2024.

To the Future

2024 is looking to be another year of exciting progression for solar energy and sustainable energy solutions, with no shortage of ongoing dialogue surrounding our island’s energy future taking place in government forums and online. At this time, onsite solar presents the only options available to homes and businesses as a safeguard against future energy price rises and should be adopted alongside an energy reduction strategy.

The electricity price increase of 12% in January will no doubt stimulate further discussion and it remains to be seen how quickly our energy prices rise to meet European averages, with the UK average being between £0.30 and £0.35 pence per kWh. What is becoming clear is that the need to generate power locally has never been greater, with energy security now becoming a real concern.

As ever, we will continue to monitor global trends and keep you up to date with products and offerings appropriate for the Jersey market as they become available.

 Finally, we thank all our customers, suppliers and partners for their continued support throughout 2023, and wish for 2024 to be a year full of good health and success.

All the best,

The SunWorks Team

SunWorks are Jersey’s leading renewable energy installation company providing design, installation and maintenance of Residential and Commercial solar photovoltaic (PV), battery storage and EV charging equipment. With significant energy projects in the pipeline for 2024 SunWorks are seeking a technical minded Service Delivery Manager to lead our ambitious team, maximise efficiency and assist with enabling Jersey’s renewable energy future.

This is an ideal opportunity for a time served electrician and/or Mechanical & Electrical industry professional looking to join modern company making a local difference. Applicants will be expected to have extensive experience within electrical contracting alongside good knowledge of electrical design, scheduling works and quality assurance.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS: Ensuring effective delivery of company technical services – Management of electrical and solar installation teams – Provide technical design input – Implement systems for managing on-site risk and delivering consistent quality – organise recruitment and training prepare KPIs

BENEFITS OF SUNWORKS:

• Part of islands’ energy future
• Environmentally focused company
• Respected work/life balance with flexibility
• Modern business culture
• Use of company EV
• Digital operation systems
• Private healthcare
• Employee benefits with bonus scheme

REQUIRED:

• Management skills for leading a productive team
• Effective communication skills
• Electrician with electrical design & construction background
• Desire to work within an environmentally focussed company
• Confident with IT, Digital workflow management / KPI dashboards
• Electrical qualification or relevant equivalent
• CAD ability would be an advantage

On Thursday 14^th September, SunWorks hosted their first-ever solar community event at The Pavillion, Liberty Warf. The evening merged with the end of the Jersey Air Display overhead and was attended by SunWorks protect customers, building professionals, representatives from leading Solar Technology companies, and special guests from Government representing the Minister for Energy and Climate Change.

The first event of its kind in Jersey, this special occasion brought together like-minded individuals to meet the SunWorks team, engage with local government, and hear from industry experts.

SunWorks owners and senior management team, Mark and Ian Brandon, presented the opening and closing speeches, providing a history of the company to date and some insight to the plans for the business, to include exciting new additions to the offering including full re-roofing with solar and energy optimisation solutions.

Representatives from Government of Jersey’s cabinet office attended to show their interest in learning more about local renewable deployment.

After a short break, the audience heard from two UK guests:
Segen, the UK’s largest provider of components to the Solar industry, was represented by their UK Business Development Director, Paul Gregory, who demonstrated the rapid growth within the Solar industry over the past decade.

Richard Fuell, UK sales manager for Solar tech giants SolarEdge, gave a fascinating insight to developments in Solar technology, most notably the potential for decentralized energy generation and storage.

Richard added “I had the privilege to attend the Sunworks event in Jersey last week.  The main thing I took away from the event was the word Opportunity.  Jersey has the opportunity to lead the way in the deployment of solar systems and become completely sustainable with the energy generation and usage.  Never before around the world has the energy market been of interest or significance.  As we move forwards in time, our energy demand is increasing, we are moving towards electrification with heating, transportation and decarbonising the way we generate power.  Sunworks are an asset to the global solar industry and are leading the way in the transition to renewable energy all over Jersey.  As the news is dominated by the effects of Climate change all around the world, each and every person can install solar panels on their homes and businesses and feel proud they are doing their bit towards the climate emergency.”

The event is testament to SunWorks’ ongoing commitment to providing the very best Solar solutions and services within the Channel Islands. SunWorks are proud to be leading the way in renewable energy on the island, and this event is the first of many renewable energy focused events that SunWorks will be organising.

SunWorks are pleased to announce the success of another bursary placement with Dominic Neal, a Mechanical Engineering student at Harper Adams University, who recently completed a three week work experience with SunWorks as part of the scheme. Dominic was the successful shortlisted candidate from real-world style interview, where candidates are required to exchange in dialogue and explain why a placement at SunWorks is for them.

SunWorks have been Jersey’s leading solar experts for over 10 years.  With a great deal of experience and knowledge in solar photovoltaic (PV) Design, installation and maintenance, they launched their bursary scheme in 2022, in effort to support Jersey students who may be considering a career in renewable energy.

During his time with SunWorks, Dominic was immediately enthusiastic to get involved in all areas of the company, working alongside both the company’s expert design & installation team. Design based roles included attending site surveys, analysing energy usage data, in order to understand customers specific needs, and exercising his skills with specialist solar design tools to model solar panel designs on a 3D roof. Dominic was then tasked to join the installation team and electricians on the roofs and was able to assist in the complete residential solar photovoltaic installation process from start-to-finish.

Dominic comments: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my 3-week work experience at SunWorks and have learned a number of skills which will help me in my professional career. I was impressed by the variety of works carried out by the company, demonstrating the versatility of its employees and management. The team made me feel welcome right-away and were proactive in explaining what they were doing and keen to get me involved and have a go.” 

“Dominic impressed everyone at SunWorks, with special attention to the way he adapted and got stuck in, like he had been a part of the team for years.  His practical approach to engineering combined with the ability to communicate will make him an excellent member of any future team he joins. I know he has learned a lot from his time with SunWorks, and there are always things we learn from our students. We look forward to running the Bursary scheme again in 2024.” Says Mark Brandon, MD and co-owner of SunWorks.

Dominic received £1,500 on completion of the bursary and there is no doubt the scheme provides massive value in transitioning from academics to real-world industry. If you are a student interested in bursary, please keep look out for application opening in Early 2024. Interviews are held each year during the Easter Holidays for the Summer placement. 

Also, if you would like a representative from SunWorks to visit your school or college to discuss solar energy and careers in the area, we would love to hear from you.

To learn more, please get in-touch through info@sunworks.je or watch our website for updates.  

SunWorks is an approved contractor for the Government’s Electric Vehicle Charger Incentive (EVCI), and can provide the full installation of an EV charger for your electric vehicle at your home or business, with £350 towards an installation. 

The Government of Jersey has launched two new schemes to financially support islanders who are interested in investing in electric vehicles and EV chargers has been launched, as part of Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap. Islanders can now apply for grants offering up to £3000 towards the purchase of any electric vehicle from an approved local retailer. 

As part of this launch, Islanders can apply for £350 towards the cost of an electric vehicle smart charger installed at their home or small business, and SunWorks are pleased to announce that they’re an official installer for the EVCI incentive.

SunWorks has over 10 years of experience in installing solar PV systems in Jersey, and have been using solar power to charge their own fleet of 11 electric vehicles since 2016.  The SunWorks team have unrivalled knowledge and expertise to install the best technology for your needs.

The Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Deputy Hilary Jeune, said: “Transport is still responsible for around 40% of our carbon emissions in Jersey, so speeding up the uptake of electric vehicles is a way in which we will start to make real inroads towards our net zero targets.

The SunWorks team can also help you save money on your energy bills with a solar PV installation, allowing you to charge your electric vehicle with solar energy. By buying a solar PV system along with your electric vehicle, you can lower your energy bills and power your vehicle with the sun. Users can also monitor your energy usage and savings with the energy monitoring solutions that come with every solar PV system. The solar smart chargers can automatically adjust the charging according to the solar power available.

Mark Brandon, Managing Director of SunWorks said: “It’s great to see the government incentives, I think they will be well received. Effective and safe EV charging is a must for any EV owner, but it can be pricey to install so any contribution helps. We strongly urge customers to consider adopting solar technology alongside an EV. They are a great combination. We have plenty of customers, who with careful charging drive round Jersey just on solar power from their roof.”  

For more information on EV charger installation, contact SunWorks today: Book a Survey!

You can apply for both incentives as a homeowner or a small business. You can visit Electric Vehicle Charger incentive and Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive for more information.