EEL Greentech has recently established itself as a specialist renewables division from The Electrical Equipment Company and now is trading from a new location in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. The new premises feature a 14,500 sq m warehouse and the product offer includes Solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging from proven and trusted brands, all available for same-day or next-day delivery to site.
The Tier 1 Solar PV stockist operates from numerous sites from across the UK and Ireland, with EEL Greentech manager Jake Keyworth explaining they are now the third branch to join to newly opened Greentech division. “It was an easy decision to make. There is an urgent demand in the UK and Ireland for renewable energy, and we were struggling with space and capacity to meet demands of customers on both the renewable and electrical sides of the business,” he commented. “Now we have dedicated space and staff to focus purely on maximising opportunities out there.”
The new division is also a much-awaited opportunity to explore other types of technology in the market. “Now we finally have the time, personnel, resources and space to learn more about other areas of the renewables industry that we may look to enter in the future,” Jake said.
Perseverance
According to Jake, solar panels are the quickest and most cost-effective way to reduce carbon footprint and address energy costs. “Our long-standing customer base is busier than ever before and we have got new clients and companies with an electrical background that are investing in accreditation to install Solar PV,” he explained.
With the increasing demand, it is almost easy to forget the past few years witnessed a very different story for the sector. “We opened the Greentech branch in Belfast in 2013, during the rise of the PV and renewables market, and the business experienced a relatively quick growth until 2016,” Jake commented. “However, in September 2016 the incentives for renewables dropped, and the market decreased drastically.”
Rather than walk away from this part of the business, the team kept the same number of staff and invested in stock and tradeshows in Ireland, as there was potential for the country to propose grants for renewables. “Many NI installers who prospered during the peak did similar. As a result, they were well placed to take advantage when grants were introduced, meaning sales started to pick up again the second half of 2019. One year later Covid hit. Everything closed and we had to rebuild the business again locally,” Jake explained. “The PV market came back relatively quickly, allowing the business to also recover quickly too from the initial lockdown.”
Expansion
With grants in place in Ireland and a general drive from all sectors to meet decarbonisation goals, Jake said demand has been “absolutely crazy” since 2021. The Belfast branch relies on 10 people today, but the plan is to get to 12 or 13 in the next few months.
Greentech will also establish a hub in the South which will be used as a distribution centre to increase stock availability and service in the Republic. Jakes predicts that, in 12 to 18 months, the company will have 20 employees to make the most out of the ever-increasing demand. “The challenge in this growing market is to keep the level of service to our customers. This has always been our priority and we are proud of it,” he commented.
Setting the example
The company has plans to install solar panels at the new premises, with the idea being to not only set the example, but also be able to demonstrate how the products work. “We are going to have a training room and also install EV charging outside so that customers can see products up close,” the manager explained.
Meanwhile, Jake and the team are enjoying the brand-new office, just in time to handle the current volume of business. “We spent two years investing heavily with the hope and expectation it would pay off, and it has been great to see the first results of this investment and the teams’ enthusiasm to make the new venture a success,” he commented. “We plan to continue to invest in our people, our stock and our resources in order to continue to provide the best service we can to our customer base.”
EEL Greentech, Unit 1 Elmbank, Channel Commercial Park, Queens Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9DT.
T: +44 (0)28 9521 9985
E: belfast.665@eelgreentech.co.uk
www.eel-greentech.co.uk
