Solar Everywhere?! Is This a Game Changing Energy Solution?! With Jo Parker-Swift

Summary

The Fully Charged Podcast: Solar Everywhere?! Is This a Game Changing Energy Solution?! With Jo Parker-Swift

Episode Details:

• Title: Solar Everywhere?! Is This a Game Changing Energy Solution?! With Jo Parker-Swift
• Host: Imogen Bogle, The Fully Charged Show
• Guest: Jo Parker-Swift, CEO of Solidus
• Release Date: March 10, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Fully Charged Podcast, host Imogen Bogle delves into the vast, untapped potential of rooftop solar energy in the UK. Joining her is Jo Parker-Swift, CEO of Solidus, a pioneering company specializing in lightweight solar technology. The discussion centers on how Solidus is revolutionizing the solar industry by addressing the unique challenges of installing solar panels on diverse and weight-restricted commercial buildings.

Meet Jo Parker-Swift and Solidus

Jo Parker-Swift introduces Solidus (often mispronounced as "Solid Verse"), highlighting the company's mission to decarbonize the built environment through innovative solar solutions.

“We are specialists in lightweight solar technology. We are tackling the built environment and decarbonizing it by providing solutions for buildings that can't support regular solar panels.”
[02:08]

The Potential of Lightweight Solar Technology

Imogen emphasizes the enormous potential of deploying solar panels across the UK's 2 million non-domestic rooftops, which could generate up to 128 gigawatts—powering around 30 million homes. However, current utilization stands at a mere 11 gigawatts.

“The capacity on the rooftops of those 2 million non-domestic buildings equates to roughly 128 gigawatts if they were all covered with solar.”
[00:30]

Overcoming Installation Challenges

Jo explains the technical hurdles of attaching lightweight solar panels to various roof types. Traditional solar panels are heavy and require specific mounting systems, making them unsuitable for many commercial buildings with weight restrictions.

“Corrugated roofs, membrane roofs, lots of different roof types. All the fixing methods out there are geared towards conventional solar with hard metal and glass clamps. We can't do that.”
[08:46]

Solidus addresses these challenges by utilizing industrial glues and specialized installation techniques, ensuring compatibility across diverse architectural designs without compromising the roof's integrity.

Durability, Maintenance, and Efficiency

Discussing durability, Jo assures that modern lightweight solar panels come with 24-year warranties, matching conventional solar panel lifespans.

“They now have 24-year warranties. The durability is there. They could be more durable in some ways because they don't have glass.”
[06:49]

Maintenance is simplified with self-cleaning properties, requiring only annual washing.

Regarding efficiency, lightweight panels achieve 19-22% efficiency, comparable to conventional panels averaging around 24%.

“These lightweight technologies tend to be between 19-22% efficiency. They have the same underlying technology—crystalline silicon—but without glass and metal encapsulation.”
[07:29]

Case Studies and Projects

Jo shares success stories demonstrating Solidus' impact:

1. Northampton Saints Rugby Club: One of Solidus' first installations, contributing to the club's Premiership victory.

   “Following our installation, they also won the Premiership.”
   [11:24]

2. Northampton County Cricket Club: Expanded the technology to another major sporting venue.

   “We also installed on the Northampton County Cricket Club.”
   [12:00]

3. Farnborough Airport: A flagship project showcasing the aesthetic and functional capabilities of Solidus' solar solutions.

   “They’re like the perfect showcase for our product. It’s like having a shop on Bond Street, but for Overworld.”
   [13:02]

4. Tesco Pilot Installation: Solidus is embarking on its first large-scale project with Tesco, aiming to help the retail giant significantly reduce its energy bills and carbon footprint.

   “We’re currently installing our first pilot for Tesco. That’s super exciting.”
   [21:13]

Organic Solar: A Sustainable Future

A standout innovation from Solidus is the Solidus Ark, an organic solar solution made entirely from carbon-based materials. This technology promises a low carbon footprint, recyclability, and sustainable sourcing without rare earth materials.

“The Solidus Ark is made out of organic solar. It doesn’t have any deep mining, no rare earth materials in it. You can recycle it at the end of its life.”
[14:33]

Jo highlights that organic solar panels can pay back their carbon footprint in just 12 weeks, compared to conventional panels' multi-year payoff periods.

Barriers to Adoption and Solutions

Despite the promising technology, Solidus faces several challenges:

1. High Costs: Lightweight solar panels and their installation are currently more expensive than traditional options.

   “The catch is it is more expensive because it's relatively new technology. It’s a hassle to do it, and that’s why you’re not seeing it everywhere yet.”
   [07:29]

2. Landlord-Tenant Dynamics: Many commercial properties are leased, creating a mismatch in incentives and timelines for solar investments.

   “There is a mismatch between the landlord and the tenant timescale... So there could be five years or more before tenants change.”
   [19:52]

3. Investment Challenges: Securing funding remains difficult, especially for female-led startups, despite the growing interest and significant savings potential.

   “Investment has been amazing. The problem is when I don’t get to speak to a person... It's tough.”
   [30:11]

Solutions Proposed:

• Financial Incentives: Encouraging the use of finance options to mitigate upfront costs.

  “There is so much finance out there. You don't have to have a big upfront payment and you can still pay monthly and get instant savings.”
  [19:27]

• Collaborative Efforts: Strengthening relationships between landlords and tenants to align sustainability goals.

• Policy Support: Advocating for feed-in tariffs and other government incentives to level the playing field.

Women in Clean Energy: Jo’s Perspective

Imogen and Jo discuss the role of women in the clean energy sector. Jo shares her positive experiences as a female CEO in a diverse and disruptive industry.

“The experience in this sector has been really fun. It's been really great. People embrace female CEOs in the sustainability sector.”
[27:54]

She emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and assertiveness for women in leadership roles.

“Sometimes you feel yourself getting a bit overpowered... I've trained myself to realize when that's happening and stop it. Be myself and be confident.”
[34:51]

Jo also addresses the need for more supportive recruitment practices and fostering environments that empower women.

Future Plans and Vision

Solidus aims to expand internationally, with recent offices established in Dubai and plans to enter the U.S. market. Jo envisions widespread adoption of organic solar technology to transform energy consumption and support communities globally.

“To put that technology on every roof in the world and the ingredients to make it will never run out. It's world-saving.”
[14:33]

She also anticipates significant savings and carbon reductions for clients, exemplified by Farnborough Airport's projected £14 million savings and 6,000 tons of carbon reduction over the product's lifetime.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a mutual appreciation for the collaborative spirit within the clean energy sector and a reaffirmation of the mission to drive sustainability forward. Jo Parker-Swift's innovative approach with Solidus presents a promising avenue for unlocking the UK's solar potential, overcoming existing barriers, and fostering a more sustainable and inclusive energy future.

“This is something we’re going to help that message. But we do think there could be more encouragement on rooftop so that we do have enough reads to power half our UK electricity.”
[19:27]

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Key Takeaways:

• Unlocking Potential: The UK has significant untapped rooftop solar capacity, especially in commercial buildings constrained by weight.
• Innovative Solutions: Lightweight and organic solar technologies offer sustainable, efficient alternatives to traditional solar panels.
• Challenges Ahead: High costs, installation complexities, and investment hurdles need to be addressed to scale adoption.
• Inclusive Leadership: Empowering women in clean energy leadership roles fosters diversity and drives industry innovation.
• Future Outlook: Solidus is poised to expand globally, promoting sustainable energy solutions that benefit both businesses and communities.

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Notable Quotes:

1. Jo Parker-Swift on Lightweight Solar Technology:

   “We are specialists in lightweight solar technology. We are tackling the built environment and decarbonizing it by providing solutions for buildings that can't support regular solar panels.”
   [02:08]

2. Imogen Bogle on UK Rooftop Potential:

   “The capacity on the rooftops of those 2 million non-domestic buildings equates to roughly 128 gigawatts if they were all covered with solar.”
   [00:30]

3. Jo on Organic Solar’s Sustainability:

   “The Solidus Ark is made out of organic solar. It doesn’t have any deep mining, no rare earth materials in it. You can recycle it at the end of its life.”
   [14:33]

4. Jo on Investment Challenges:

   “The problem is when I don’t get to speak to a person... It's tough.”
   [30:11]

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Final Thoughts:

Jo Parker-Swift's insights offer a compelling look into the future of solar energy, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges inherent in transforming the UK's energy landscape. As the clean energy sector continues to evolve, innovations like those from Solidus are essential in paving the way towards a more sustainable and equitable energy future.

Transcript

[Imogen Bogle]

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Fully Charged show podcast. My name is Imogen Bogle and I am one of the presenters here on the Everything Electric show and the Fully Charged Show. And today we are talking about the enormous untapped potential of rooftop solar with a wonderful woman called Jo Parker Swift. Now, whenever we talk about solar here on the Fully Charged show or the Everything Electric show, someone invariably and very rightly so, puts in the comments something along the lines of why isn't every rooftop here in the UK covered with solar? And it is a really, really valid question. There are some 2 million industrial or non domestic buildings here in the UK. So think factories, warehouses, supermarkets, what have you. And the capacity on the rooftops of those 2 million non domestic buildings equates to roughly 128 gigawatts if they were all covered with solar. Now to put that into perspective, that could power 30 million homes. And the UK Solar Task Force is currently on a mission to deploy 50 gigawatts of solar by 2030. So 128 gigawatts. That is absolutely enormous. And yet at present, just 11 gigawatts of capacity is currently being used. So in this podcast we wanted to see who is addressing this challenge, who has a solution and what are the barriers that still remain in the way. So we're going to get into all of that with the wonderful Jay Parker Swift, who works for a company company called Solid Verse. But first, a very, very quick advert break. Try Everything Electric at our exhibitions in Australia, Canada and the uk. Next up, London. Jo, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. This is really exciting, not least because I think it's safe to say that we, we come across a lot of men within this industry. We come across fewer female CEO. So we are particularly lucky on not just for the fact that you're doing some incredible things, but also that you're sort of somewhat bucking the trend, which we're very grateful to see. But I wonder if you could kind of kick us off with describing who exactly solar Verse is and what is exactly the problem that you're trying to solve. And also, have I pronounced the name correctly?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, it's Solidus. I wish it's on days I wish I'd called the business something else because people often struggle with an a Solidus. We are specialists in lightweight solar technology. So we are tackling the built environment. We're really focused on the built environment and decarbonizing the built environment. And we're focused on providing solutions for the Buildings that you can't put regular solar on. So that's large commercial buildings that has weight issues. And also in the domestic sector, sector we have, we're developing a product that stands on the ground rather than going on P's reefs.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I think that's the thing that, you know, whenever we put a video out on the fully charged show everything electric show, there are invariably someone comments something along the lines of, there are so many rooftops in the uk, if only we could deploy lots of solar. And I don't think there's necessarily been quite the understanding that actually many commercial buildings have been limited by the weight that goes on the roof and therefore how suitable they are for traditional solar or not. So how have you combated that problem?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, so it's probably helpful if I sort of say the journey, how we. And then you'll have an understanding of how that came about, how we came up with the solution and combated that. So this business is actually the third business that I founded. And I was sort of looking for my next idea and I was worried about energy for my own home. I was worried about energy security. And I was looking out into the garden, I saw these laurel bushes and I realized, because I was realizing there wasn't enough space on the roof to generate the power that my home needed. So I looked at these laurel bushes, I went out and I measured all the leaves, counted them all, realized some huge surface area. So my idea originally was to invent a solar tree. That's where it started.

[Imogen Bogle]

Ah.

[Jo Parker Swift]

So I went on a journey discovering all this lightweight thin film technology and to create leaves and a tree. That was where it started. And that idea has turned into this Solomon's Arc. I don't know if you can see that with the light.

[Imogen Bogle]

Oh, yes.

[Jo Parker Swift]

So for those might see that on the website. Yes.

[Imogen Bogle]

I was just gonna say for those who are listening and not watching and listening, I would describe that as quite a beautiful sort of structural sculpture. Yeah.

[Jo Parker Swift]

So it didn't work out to create leaves, although that might be something you can do further in the future. But leaves are too extensive with too many junction boxes and things, so it's turned into sculptural shape. But I was working in my homes in Kent, I was working with some scientists in Cambridge and I was driving back over the Dartford Crossing and I saw huge warehouses as I was driving over Darth Crossing, couldn't understand why they didn't have solar on. I asked a few questions and realized it was weight limitations. The larger buildings have weight limitations and I was already playing with these very lightweight solar technologies. And so I realized there was a huge market opportunity for lightweight solar on commercial buildings. So that's where we started. I'd already done quite a lot of research into lightweight solar tech, but then we had the challenge of okay, how do we inform people about this, how do we let them know and how do we attach it to the roof and make this happen?

[Imogen Bogle]

So the first thing that popped into my mind when I had a look at your solution is that there isn't the glass and therefore it's like, what does this mean from a durability perspective? Have there been any compromises that you've had to make in order to get that lightweighting?

[Jo Parker Swift]

There's a really interesting question about the durability because these products have been around actually for quite a long time. Sort of around 2006, 8 there was a big kind of excitement about, about them, but they didn't have the durability, they didn't have the length of life. But now over time the companies that creating these products they have developed, they've got the encapsulation rights and they now have warranties in line with conventional solar. So they now have sort of 24 year warranties. So the durability is there. And some, you could argue they are more durable in some ways because they don't have glass on them or in the heavy hail storm for example. That way won't damage them, it won't.

[Imogen Bogle]

Break them, of course. How about cleaning? Are they as easy to clean as glass?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yes, they have self cleaning properties on the top and they just need to be washed off once a year as the maintenance program for them.

[Imogen Bogle]

So I mean, what's not to love really? But then I suppose, presumably, and this sounds like I'm really playing devil's advocate, I'm not at all. I'm just like, is this almost, is it almost too good to be true efficiency wise? I'm guessing that there must be some trade off there in that, you know, what's the sort of industry average? I guess 24% efficient. How does it compare to the industry?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, I mean 24% is quite, quite high. It's early 20s is the sort of average. And these lightweight technologies tend to be between 19, 22% efficiency. So this, it has the same, a lot of the products have the same underlying technology which is crystalline silicon, but it just doesn't have the glass and the metal encapsulation. So it does have a much lower carbon footprint in that regard. But you know, I can Tell you looking for a catch. And there is a catch. And the catch is. But it is more expensive because it's relatively new technology. It's more expensive to purchase the lightweight soda, but it's also more expensive to put it on a roof. It's a really technical thing, actually, to put it on a roof. And that's where a lot of our IP and knowledge, and specialist knowledge comes in, is how do you fix this two roofs? It is quite a complex process. In order to do that, it takes longer. There's a lot of R and D involved. So that, that's the catch. It's a hassle to do it and that's. That's why you're not seeing it everywhere yet.

[Imogen Bogle]

So why is it tricky to attach to roofs?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Well, you've got something that is effectively just like a board and some of them are more flexible than others, which brings its own challenges, because then you have windage and certain products are more suited to different situations and different roofs. But you have, you know, corrugated roofs, membrane roofs, lots of different roof types. And all of the fixing methods out there are all geared towards conventional solar with a hard metal and glass that you can put clamps on. So we can't do that. So we, you know, specialize in knowing a lot of the roofs. We glue to the roof with industrial glues, which is a new phenomenon for people to understand that glues can be strong enough and that we can use those. And then there's other specialist methods for different roof types as well. Don't go too, too much because that's our ip.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I also, whenever I speak to people who have started businesses, I always imagine this process of, you know, you've driven past on the, the Dartford, Dartford Bypass, Dartford Bridge, and you look at all these rooftops and think, what an opportunity. And then as you delve into it.

[Jo Parker Swift]

And you're like, it's like, oh, so that's why it's a real hassle.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I suppose the alternative, it is a hassle and it is expensive. But compared to the alternative, which is not a viable option for commercial build and therefore, in the long run, it's still cheaper because you can still save on your electricity bills.

[Jo Parker Swift]

And I should point out that that's where Solidus is positioning ourselves, is that we're really clear to say that we are not competing with conventional solar. If your roof can take the weight of the normal solar, that's what you should go and do. Yeah, we wouldn't even quote for somebody if their roof can Take conventional solar because we know we can't compete. However, where we're positioning ourselves is keeping this new technology really, really straightforward for customers. It can be a bit overwhelming and confusing solar anyway, if it's not your core business. So we take the hassle out of it. We take. We take the hassle onto us and we keep everything really straightforward for our customers.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I think, you know, you were like, caveat, it is a hassle and we'll take on that hassle. But clearly it hasn't put off some pretty major customers that you have. And you've been involved in some incredibly exciting projects. I wonder if you could take us through some of those.

[Jo Parker Swift]

So I was really thrilled. I got to do a shout out to a couple of my first customers. One main one's Julia Chapman, who's now been promoted to CEO at Northampton Saints Rugby Club. And following our installation, they also won the Premiership. I'll just say that. So. So, yeah, that, that was. That was a great installation to do that on. The. The rugby club was one of the first ones because that was quite helpful for sort of showcase. And then that led on to the stadium in the same town, which is the cricket club. So the Northampton County Cricket Club, we also installed on there. But the real game changer really has been in the last year, we won a contract with Farnborough Airport, which, ironically, I was actually on the Fully Charged show and I think 2022, and I was looking across at these beautiful curves, iconic roofs, and I just thought, I want to install on those. They're like, they're perfect. They'd be like the perfect showcase for our product. And through a bizarre pool of events, we now have done that. And it's a beautiful installation that we're really proud of. It's like having a shop on Bond street, the equivalent in Overworld. So it's a really, really iconic showcase for what we can do. Yeah.

[Imogen Bogle]

And for anyone who isn't familiar with Farnborough Airfield, A, you should be, because it is home to everything electric live and you should come along to one of our shows. But B, it has these, as you exactly as you described, these incredibly curved roofs, which I imagine, you know, total challenge to install. And also you've got all those private jets coming in who'll be able to see those rooftop. Rooftops and think, hmm, yes. What's that about, then?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, no, it has been great. And we were, you know, we've been able to take other, other companies, other airports there to. To see what we can do. But I should Say that the main driver for the airport was actually reducing their carbon footprint. There's a huge pressure on airports to decarbonize and that was the main driver. But Farnborough airport is also going to be saving a lot of money on their energy bills. They'll save about £14 million on their energy bills over the course of the lifetime of the solar. So it's definitely worth doing. But their main driver was the sustainability and the carbon footprint, because it doesn't have any glass or metal, has a lower carbon footprint. So yeah, I think that's going to save about 6,000 tons of carbon.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I suppose actually that's something that I'd not stopped to think about. That broader supply chain piece that if you're shipping these panels from across the world, you're not shipping glass, which is extremely heavy, takes up a lot of room. So the end to end supply chain and global footprint must be that much more palatable as well.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yes, yeah. And actually the Solidus Ark that we are creating that is made out of organic solar. So I'm so excited about that product because it doesn't have any deep mining, no rare earth materials in it. You can recycle it at the end of its life. In theory you could put that technology on every roof in the world and the ingredients to make it will never run out. So it's, I mean it is more expensive, which is why we launch as a luxury product. But that organic solar is really, is world saving. It's great.

[Imogen Bogle]

So I have to admit this wasn't a term I'd heard of until really, really recently. And my husband came back from work and he was like, do you know any organic solar companies? And I was like, do you know, there is one that I may be speaking to on Tuesday. But I wonder if we could take a step back for a moment and if you could describe in super, super simple terms what organic solar actually means.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, well, it's just made, it's made out of carbons. So in theory you could get the ingredients from plants. It's not made in that way at the moment, but in theory you could do that in the future. But yeah, it's just made from carbons. I don't know the specific ingredients of it because we're not party to that information. But I do know that usually conventional solar will take a number of years to pay back the carbon footprint to make it, but organic Solar only takes 12 weeks. So when we go to fully market the Solomon Ark, it'll be a big push about having this Amazing, clean, sustainable product in your home.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I think the other thing that's really important to note is that these albeit luxury, organic solar structures that you can put in your garden, you can pick up and take with you should you move home as well.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah. I mean, again, it's a bit of a hassle to put solar on your roof. You've got to get scaffolding and the cost of scaffolding around all of that. You don't have to do that with this. And yeah, it's that decision. Oh, what if I move home? If you move home, just. Just take it with you.

[Imogen Bogle]

God, it's. Yeah. I have to say, in my old house, when I think we needed a few tiles replacing and the cost of that was reasonably straightforward, the cost of the scaffolding is the scaffolding.

[Jo Parker Swift]

It's expensive.

[Imogen Bogle]

Oh, God. And every time I'd look out, think, ah, anyway, but, you know, naked roof or pave scaffolding, what's the worst outcome? Okay, so one of the things that I discovered in researching for this podcast is that the UK has a really rather unfortunate accolade of having some of the most expensive industrial electricity in the world. And I think, you know, I'm lifting this from, from articles that you've quoted, but four times the cost of industrial electricity in the us, double that of many, many other countries, particularly in Europe. And obviously, you know, the UK government is on a campaign to deliver clean power by 2030. But I can't help but think, well, are businesses being adequately supported to make that transition? What kind of help is available, if any, to help customers transition to, you know, have lightweight solar, like the world of SolidWorks on their roofs as well.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, I do think, excuse me, there could be more of a push and more of an encouragement for commercial solar, not just lightweight solar technology. I mean, lightweight soda technology is really just. It's for us now to really get out there, let people know that this exists. And thank you for inviting me on this show because that's going to help that message. But I do think there could be more encouragement on rooftop so that we do have enough reads to. To power, you know, sort of half our UK electricity. It should be encouraged. It's. It is a little bit confusing and overwhelming if it's not your core business. So some communication and encouragement around that. There is a lot of finance out there for this. So I think that people are a little bit. They want to have the same relationship with electricity that they've always had. They want to pay month, they want monthly, they don't want to pay thousands of pounds, or in the case of big warehouses, millions of pounds upfront, but they don't actually need to do that because there's so much finance out there. Obviously you don't save as much with the finance over the lifetime of the product, but you still do make hugely significant savings and so you don't have to have a big upfront payment and you can still pay monthly and get instant savings and decarbonize your building. And I think there needs to be more communication and encouragement around that.

[Imogen Bogle]

I suppose one of the challenges as well is that many of these warehouses and industrial properties, they're not owned by the businesses who are, who are using them. There is a landlord somewhere, and when you have that huge, well, that upfront capital cost, what's the incentive for that landlord, aside from reducing their overall carbon footprint? Has that been your experience and is that a challenge that you have to face?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah. I don't know if you've had other solar companies on here, commercial solar, but that is one of the big barriers is that is this mismatch between the landlord and the tenant timescale, and there's often a kind of roadmap that. So when are the tenants changing? And we'll put solar on a roof when the tenants change over, but that could be five years or more. So I think again, there could be a bit more of a marriage of minds between tenants and landlords to. So that everyone can benefit from it. But there's a drive, there's a bit of a stick coming because people need to have the right rating for the buildings in terms of sustainability. And if they haven't done that in time in a few years, then they stand a risk of having stranded assets and not being able to rent their buildings out. So there is a stick coming to encourage people to do this.

[Imogen Bogle]

What's the sort of. Because I can imagine that with many of your customers and potential customers, you have to take them on a bit of a journey to get them there and to kind of anticipate where some of these worry beads and concerns exist. How do you kind of. What's the biggest barrier that you experience and how do you get them over that sort of perceived hump and sort of hold their hand through that process.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yes. So there's a lot of questions around how do you fix this to the roof and roof warranty questions. And there's a big conversation in engineers, R and D testing. There's a. There's a big journey around that. It has helped having the Installations in place that people can go and see. Now I, I can share with you that we are doing our first installation for Tesco is really super exciting because Tesco actually uses 1% of the UK's electricity. No, that's so crazy. They are way bigger than any other supermarket chain. But there's a fantastic new head of energy there who Bianca, who's, who's just very, very cool. She is on a mission to decarbonize Tesco and get as much renewable energy there. So they came out, Tesco came out, Bianca and her colleagues came out to Farnborough Airport, actually. So we took them on that journey, took them out to the airport to see how we'd fixed it to the roof so that they could really understand standard. They were blown away by like, wow, we didn't realize this was possible. Okay, let's, let's do a pilot, let's get on with this. So we're currently installing our first pilot for Tesco. So that's, that's super exciting.

[Imogen Bogle]

That is absolutely unbelievable. And especially when, you know, we, we often talk about things like micro grids and that kind of thing. And you think Tesco's take up huge amounts of spaces within cities, but also just if you were to add up all of the possible surface area that they have in their rooftops across the uk, the potential that they could have not just to power their own buildings, but maybe sort of surrounding charges or households or, you know, even if they were storing that and helping with local fuel poverty, for example, the potential impact is absolutely phenomenal.

[Jo Parker Swift]

You were talking about barriers earlier. One of the frustrating barriers for us is that some of these buildings are so big they often have a large amount of surplus energy. So there are many buildings we might be able to put sort of 5 or 6 megawatts on, but they can only use 1 or 2 megawatts in the building. And the price you get for selling back to the grid, remember our products more expensive and the price you get setting back to the grid isn't very good. So it doesn't make sense to sell it back to the grid. So we are having to be really inventive and studying the market and understanding how best we can use this energy. You're right. In the surrounding community, exploring batteries and exploring energy trading, that is really cool.

[Imogen Bogle]

And I think, you know, I'm such a, I bang on about this all the time, but I feel like if you look at these technologies and just think of them as a, like, for like replacement with what's gone before, fine. It's a new technology and it's kind of interesting. But if you can kind of open Pandora's box to see how it could fundamentally change how we consume energy and support communities and decarbonise society as a whole, that's when it becomes so much more exciting. And those sort of what if scenarios are just absolutely phenomenal. So we're going to be watching this.

[Jo Parker Swift]

In one of our target markets, Northampton County Cricket Club. We have surplus energy on there that we're selling to a community shop that's got a lot of fridges and refrigerators in it. So that's sort of just a little practice pilot but that sort of thing. Sports stadiums could, because they have a lot of down days where they don't have energy. So that energy could then be used for the local communities.

[Imogen Bogle]

So we filmed an episode in a church in Bristol in were looking at infrared heating in a sort of halo like light fitting and the priest there was saying, you know, all churches, pretty much most churches are east west facing and they have a large roof which is so ripe for solar. Maybe we need to connect the dots there as well because again, huge amount of roof space, huge amount of opportunity to support surrounding communities as well.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Yeah, agreed.

[Imogen Bogle]

So in light of, of all of that, if you could have just One thing for 2025 that would just make your life that much easier and that, you know, would make all of these conversations with customers that much easier, what would you ask for?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Actually we're having amazing conversations with customers and we, we have a lot of interest. The one thing that would make my life easier as a CEO is, is actually investment. To scale our team, we need more engineers, we need to be designing many, many more roofs and whatnot. So that's probably the main thing that would help. I mean all entrepreneurs are constantly on this journey and you're constantly growing and things like that. But as a female trying to get investment, everybody knows it's a lot harder. So that, that, that one thing would, would help. But in terms of the political environment, because our products are more expensive, perhaps a feed in tariff to sort of even out a bit because people hear it's more expensive sometimes that's like o I'm not sure we have to take some convincing around you're still going to save masses on your energy bill. It's just more expensive compared to conventional solar.

[Imogen Bogle]

That's really interesting and that sort of forcing people to kind of have that long term view of their savings as well. So I do want to ask you about your experience of being A female CEO. Because I've got to say, we find it very, very interesting on the Fully Charged show because it's not to say that there aren't loads and loads of female CEOs. There certainly are a few, but we, we come across them less frequently. I think the other thing that we find is that there is less of a willingness of women in the clean energy industry to describe themselves as experts, which is criminal because so often we're like, you are absolutely the, the experts and we would love you to speak about XYZ subject. But I wonder what your experience has been like and what led you to this industry in the first place.

[Jo Parker Swift]

The experience actually in this sector has been really fun. It's been really great. And people embrace female CEOs in the sustainability sector. It is quite a diverse sector, just by its nature, it's disruptive. And so, yeah, there's lots of female leaders in this area, so I haven't found that an issue at all. This is my third business, so founding a business is not something new to me. And previously my first two businesses sort of in the healthcare industry and I could have done another healthcare business, but, you know, you only live once and I thought if you do the same thing you've always done, you're going to get what you've always got. So let's try something different. And I, I did do environmental science at university, so I'm sort of going back to my roots with this one and really passionate about it.

[Imogen Bogle]

Jo, it's so true. I think you're absolutely right. Electric vehicles. Clean energy industry by its nature is disruptive, as you say. And we certainly find our live shows as well, that there is this willingness to collaborate and support each other within the industry and I think that's really wonderful and it's really unique and even competition is sort of slightly cooperative competition and quite friendly. Yeah.

[Jo Parker Swift]

But yeah, you can't make enemies in this, in this sector at all because it's, it's relatively niche and small and everybody knows everybody. So you have to be helpful to everyone and all companies aware of that, big and small.

[Imogen Bogle]

So everybody does collaborate and also, you know, everyone's on the same mission and actually if you believe in that mission, you should want everyone to be successful with some ever so slightly more successful than others, obviously. But you did mention there that investment is a little bit more challenging and that, that is something that we see, you know, in various statistics, that people are more likely to receive investment from someone who looks like themselves. And often those investment communities can be Made of a panel of, of males. How do you combat that particular scenario?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Well, you know, I haven't really got to the, the bottom of this yet. So you hear the statistics, you know. So somewhere 1% of VC money, something like, I don't know, it's very low for investing in females, but most of my high net worth investor, a couple of females and I just appreciate my high net worth, all our investors so much, you know, I really feel such a sense of responsibility. They believe in us, they, they've trusted us with their money. So we work incredibly hard. We're always talking about this and to the team that's fine, but it's, it's more the. Now the scale up, ponding that sort of investment has been, has been amazing. It's, it's, it's the actual, the problem. It comes when I don't get to speak to a person so it, through forms and committees and when you, they haven't got to meet me and feel a fire in my belly. I suppose that's a barrier that's difficult to get through when you're just a name on a form and you're talked about in a committee that don't know how to get past. That's really tough.

[Imogen Bogle]

Yeah, because it's, it's fascinating because, you know, there can be many, many brilliant ideas and important ideas, but actually to make them reality and to make them successful, it needs the right person and the right leader with the right team and the right skills, etc. To deliver. And how on earth can you convey that without having that?

[Jo Parker Swift]

I look forward to being the other side of the table on the investment committees. I might change a few things.

[Imogen Bogle]

I think that'd be really fun. I think we should also start the campaign for you to be the newest Dragon in Dragonston, perhaps. So, as you've mentioned, you know, this is your third business. You have a tremendous amount of experience, not least in working in different fields and different sectors, but of course with different types of people and at different levels of seniority as well. And I wonder, you know, as we, this will be coming out around International Women's Day, I do want to ask the question, what do you think male colleagues could be doing to better support women within the clean energy industry, the electrification industry more broadly, and I suppose what more can be done to retain women in the sector and encourage them to join it in the first place?

[Jo Parker Swift]

Okay, great, great questions. Thank you. I do think this is something that I'd like. I've always sort of steered away from previously when People ask me about this because I took this whole thing out of the equation of my career quite early on. I started my first business when I was 23, where I could see women. I was working for a pharmaceutical company at the time, and I could see the progression for women was going to be really difficult. It was going to be a really hard road. So I set my own business up then. So I just literally removed this whole thing from my career at that point. And so I do sort of want to help people, other females of this. I think there's a lot that we can do for ourselves. Firstly, if you get to the position where you're recruiting, make sure you're recruiting the right males that are going to support you. Really put a lot into that recruitment process, and make sure that you're going to get a lot of support. Take time to do that. And then also, I do think that we can do a lot for ourselves in terms of our own behavior, actually. Sometimes at the moment, I get to speak to very senior people in large organizations very, very quickly. And most of them are really very, very intelligent. That's how they've got there. And everything's all very, very straightforward. Occasionally you might come across a dynamic where you feel yourself getting a bit overpowered. And it's very easy as a woman to go into that slightly subservient role, which sort of ingrained in us, in our upbringing somehow, for a lot of us anyway. And so I've really trained myself over the years to realize when that's happening and to stop that happening and realizing, actually I can do that. I don't mean being aggressive, but I do mean just being assertive and being myself. I just suddenly think, jo, stop being. Going into the submissive thing. Be yourself. Be yourself. You're confident. You know this stuff. Just be yourself and don't do that. And I just stopped myself going into that role. And I do think, yeah, we could do a lot for ourselves to help change this dynamic.

[Imogen Bogle]

This is such a good answer. And I have to say, it reminds me of playing chess with my husband. So. And I promise you this is relevant because I. I learned how to play chess during lockdown. He'd played for many, many, many, many years. So, you know, since lockdown and now, it has been a mission to try and be a more equal competitor. And I notice sometimes when, you know, he's made a couple of good early moves, that it forces me to play defensively. And I always have to have a moment to myself, say, no. Well, you need to be a Bit defensive in some areas of this game of chess, but actually don't let it take away from your initial strategy that you had set in your mind. And it needs that sort of defensive play, needs to be balanced by that sort of forthright play as well. And I think about that a lot when we play chess. And now I can see it's that.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Moment you have to stop yourself. So what are you doing? Just stop. Don't stop behaving like that.

[Imogen Bogle]

So yourself out and suddenly, you know, my queen's backed in a corner and I didn't want it that way. So yeah, no, I think that that's wonderful advice and I think, you know, I've worked in many male dominated environments as well and I think women, well, actually not just women, but anyone who is a good listener as well, has a superpower to listen to what's going on around them and reflect it back in a really succinct way. And I feel like that's something that in those moments when you can take it in, take a step back and reflect back, that has a gentle way of disarming as well. So before we, before we, we come to a close, what should have I, what should have I. What should I have asked you today, do you think?

[Jo Parker Swift]

What should you have asked me? I think, I think you've done pretty well. You've looked at all the barriers, all the sales. Our journey ahead for the future, I suppose, yes, our journey ahead for the future is quite ambitious in that, you know, we could do quite well just focusing in the UK market. But we do tend to go international. We've very recently set up an office in Dubai and to tackle the UAE market, I recognize there's certainly a market there for the Solomon's Ark and there are a lot of roofs there as well. And we do plan to go into the U.S. you one of your statistics there was that our electricity is a lot more expensive than the U.S. but the U.S. is very much, you know, state by state in terms of the electricity prices. We're very targeted on regions where they've got high electricity to. So there are certain countries in Europe, certain states in the US The UAE is slightly different because that market's not pulled by electricity prices. Actually market is pulled by trying to get as much solar on site as possible so that you, they can use their, their oil for exporting. So there's a different market there. So not, that's not necessarily competing against the electricity prices, but other countries we have to target places where they've got high electricity prices.

[Imogen Bogle]

I suppose a willingness for people to adopt clean technologies, that's obviously a super positive thing. But for the economic argument to totally make sense and unearth additional opportunities, I think that's tremendously exciting and it's awesome to see what you're doing to make that possible. So thank you so much for giving up your morning to join us on the podcast and hopefully we'll see you again soon.

[Jo Parker Swift]

Okay, thanks very much for the opportunity.

[Imogen Bogle]

Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the Fully Charged show podcast. I really, really enjoyed talking to Jo and actually when we clicked Stop Recording, we began talking about the role of women in stem. And we're having this conversation very, very close to International Women's Day. And I think that is something that I would so love for our listeners to take away from this, that actually there are so many careers and opportunities available in the world of clean energy and electrification, not least for women. And, you know, how cool is it to be able to do something super positive for the world whilst shaping and crafting the world around us? That's my two cents. Anyway, before you go, if you could do us one teeny tiny favor and like comment or subscribe or all of the above or come to one of our live shows or tell a friend or all of those sorts of bits and bobs, we would so appreciate it. It really does help to ensure that we can keep on sharing the cool and important stuff in this clean energy transition. But that's it. If you have been, thank you for listening and watching.