Opinion

Two minutes with…

Who are you?
Mike Lowes, md of Renewable Solutions UK  

What do you do?
I run a large national multi-technology renewable energy sales, installation and consultancy company.

Where are you?
We are based inLiverpoolat present, but are in the process of moving in to a new purpose-built HQ on the Wirral. We have satellite offices inBelfast, Sunderland,EdinburghandSwindon.

How’s business at the moment?
PV is a challenge as I’m sure it is for us all. If the government left it alone for a while then consumer-confidence would return – fact. Biomass and heat pump sales are strong, and turbines remain a popular purchase. Our GridBuddy is also a great success for us as is our newly launched RS Guardian data-logging system.

We have just launched in Scotland and Northern Ireland and are finalising an office in Atlanta, USA, where we will be trading from by 2013.

How could it be better?
As noted, the government could help the industry by supporting it. At present they seem to be intent on doing anything but. Aside from that, the company is in a very strong position and continues to move from strength to strength.

Who do you admire in renewables?
Iain Calderwood, formally of Secon Solar. He was fairly instrumental in developing solar thermal in the UK when there was no established market and worked closely with the likes of the STA for many years. He is retired now and enjoying a lazy life, we hope.

What’s the best business advice you have received?
Worry about how well you are doing, not how well everyone else is doing.

How are you going green?
We have solar PV, a solar tracker, thermal, biomass and under-floor heating at our new HQ, so we are certainly practising what we preach. We recycle 100 percent of our packaging and have our own compactor. We run a fleet of Hybrid assessor vehicles.