The Solar Shed - taking charge of renewable energy

Founder Kevin Holland talks to us about helping to shape government policies on renewable energy and his hopes for West Norfolk

I meet Kevin at his home - where all this began and continues.

He shows me the solar panels on his 15th century home and says, “There’re not many jobs in life where you wake up and you go, yes the sun’s up!

“I still feel like an 18 year old doing this. What we do for other people really floats my boat, you go to bed of a nighttime and you think that’s another 20 penguins we’ve just saved, we’re going to stop the ice from melting a bit more.”

Kevin’s a retired met police officer, his office wall covered in many accolades, including acts of bravery. His interest in solar panels didn’t begin until he retired from the force and moved near to King’s Lynn.

“When I said to people I was going to create a solar nation from a shed at the bottom of the garden nearly 20 years ago - I was laughed at.

“We had just moved up to Norfolk and bought this 500 year old house and it was costing me a fortune, and we’ve now gone from about 3 and a half thousand litres of oil a year to about 700.

“Because I wanted this for myself, I wanted to show other people what is possible on old period properties.”

So - in 2014 the Solar Shed was officially established, and since then it’s been helping homes and businesses become more eco friendly - everything from air source heat pumps to custom-built solar sheds.

Kevin shows me on a map how many homes locally they’ve worked on, “There’re about 16 hundred solar systems that we’ve done that are grid tied in the West Norfolk and Norfolk area.

“I want my customers to talk to their neighbours, I want them to encourage their neighbours to use local companies, who’re going to support the local economy.”

His business is now award winning and Kevin is a prominent advocate for renewable energy, being the CEO of The Solar Nation - made up of independent solar installation companies in the UK. It functions as a collaborative platform, often giving feedback and advice to the government on national policies.

“I’m determined to reduce the amount of waste we have in our lives. We’ve now got the innovation for balcony solar panels, so people in blocks of flats that couldn’t traditionally have solar - can, we just need government and policy makers to make sure it fits.

“And I really think we need more solar panels on car ports, build canopies with panels at leisure centre car parks, it’s just wasted space at the minute and could generate so much power.”

You can’t fault Kevin on his energy (pun intended) and enthusiasm, and like most successful business people, he’s constantly adapting and moving forward.  He ends by telling me plans to use the River Great Ouse, the banks of which are right by his home, as a source of renewable energy.  

And although he's keen to use his knowledge to help shape national policies, his main interest lies in helping those close to home.

“And turning King’s Lynn and West Norfolk into the greenest borough of the United Kingdom.”

Well, if anyone can, it's him.

Images T&A and The Solar Shed