British solar heat and power scale-up Naked Energy announced today that it has secured £17m ofnew equity as part of a Series B first close to supercharge its global expansion and the adoption of its cutting-edge solutions to decarbonise heat. The round was led by E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions (E.ON EIS), a provider of integrated, sustainable energy solutions for cities and industries. E.ON EIS is part of the E.ON Group, one of Europe’s largest operators of energy networks and infrastructure, and a strategic partner to Naked Energy. The partnership was initiated by E.ON Group Innovation through the global accelerator programme Free Electrons, in which E.ON’s innovation team identified the advanced Naked Energy technology.  The strategic partnership was founded in October 2023 and enables the partners to continuously expand the collaboration and scale the solution. The series was supported by co-investment from existing investor Barclays through its Sustainable Impact Capital. The investment is a strong endorsement of Naked Energy’s growth plans, enabling the company to accelerate the international distribution of its award-winning solar heat and power technology with the adoption of innovative new business models. Naked Energy’s Virtu solar collectors have a modular design and the world’s highest energy density solar technology, proven to be up to four times more impactful at offsetting CO2 emissions than conventional solar PV panels.  E.ON EIS will benefit from access to the innovative Virtu product range for its commercial and industrial customers. The relationship between E.ON and Naked Energy will facilitate the provision of Naked Energy’s technology through a Heat-As-A-Service model to a global client base. The two companies are already working on a pipeline of projects across multiple territories. Naked Energy has sold its Virtu product range to more than 20 countries and is well-established in the UK and Europe, having signed deals with industrial and commercial clients, such as IHG Hotels & Resorts and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London. The IEA Renewables Report 2023 projects that the share of heat from renewable energy will increase by more than 40% worldwide from 2023 to 2028. As a result of the deal, Naked Energy is well-positioned to capitalise on this growing opportunity for renewable heat technologies.  The company has manufacturing bases in the UK and Europe, and is scheduled to start manufacturing in Dallas, Texas later this year in partnership with its US distribution partner ELM Solar. Christophe Williams, CEO of Naked Energy, said: “The first wave of investment of our Series B round is transformative for our journey and a great step in the wider movement to decarbonise heat.  “It’s clear that both E.ON and Barclays share our sense of urgency to decarbonise heat. Heating takes up over half of all energy consumed globally, and as the demand for renewable heat continues to rise, we’re committed more than ever to supporting the commercial and industrial sectors in their transition away from natural gas. “Heat decarbonisation presents a huge economic opportunity. With investment from such major industry players, we’re confident we can capitalise on this global shift and look forward to other like-minded investors joining us on our journey to ‘change energy for good’.”  Daniel Joisten, Head of Innovation Commercialization at E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, added: “Investing in Naked Energy has been a great decision for E.ON. In just one year, we’ve progressed from scouting and assessing their capabilities through E.ON Group Innovation as part of the prestigious Free Electrons Program, to a test installation at E.ONs Silicon Valley Garage and now on to a strategic partnership with significant potential for E.ON´s Energy Infrastructure Business. “Naked Energy’s solutions have distinctive and convincing value propositions. We will utilise them to help our customers, in industries such as Food & Beverage and Hospitality, to decarbonize their businesses profitably. We are looking forward to scaling our joint business activities, both from an E.ON perspective and on Naked Energy’s board of directors.” Gavin Chapman, Co-Head of Principal Investments at Barclays, said: “To reach net zero, we need to rapidly scale new, innovative technologies to help reduce emissions in the sectors that are most difficult to decarbonise – particularly our homes and buildings. As we make our follow-on investment today, we’re excited to see and support Naked Energy’s continued growth and further deployment of their technology, supercharged by the partnership with E.ON.” Piper Sandler served as exclusive corporate finance advisor to Naked Energy on the transaction. The second close is expected to complete before the end of September 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Engineering and infrastructure specialist Spencer Group has been appointed to play a key role in the development of a pioneering new energy plant which aims to reshape the future of renewable energy. Spencer Group will deliver a £23m contract to design the site layout and deliver the enabling works and civils for the UK’s first commercial scale liquid air long duration energy storage facility, which is being developed at Trafford Energy Park in Carrington, Manchester. The £300m development by Highview Power will store surplus electricity generated from wind and solar and will be the first commercial-scale plant in the UK deploying pioneering liquid air energy storage technology. Developed by Highview Power in the UK over the past 17 years, the technology enables renewable energy to be stored for up to several weeks, longer than battery technologies. The plant will be one of the world’s largest facilities of its kind and, once complete, will have a storage capacity of 300 MWh – enough clean and green energy to serve the needs of 480,000 homes. Spencer Group Executive Chairman, Charlie Spencer OBE said: “Highview Power is a leading player in helping the UK achieve its net zero targets and is addressing the key issue of energy storage. “We’re delighted to be involved with this exciting and pioneering project, which promises to reshape the future of renewable energy. “We have a strong track record of delivering large-scale energy projects and we’re excited to expand our portfolio of works within this field with a project that will play a key role in the UK’s energy transition.” John Goldie, Highview Power, Programme Director added: “We are looking forward to continuing to build and further our relationship with Spencer Group, which we have developed over the past 24 months during the pre-execute phase of the Carrington project. We selected Spencer Group based on their expertise and experience in delivering similar type projects and providing innovative and value-added solutions in engineering and construction.” Highview Power aims to solve the question of “what do you do when the wind doesn’t blow, and the sun doesn’t shine?” Its technology will support the UK’s energy transition by making intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar more flexible, as well as cutting energy waste, reducing dependence on foreign gas and ensuring the UK meets net zero goals. It works by converting excess energy into liquid air, which can be easily and safely stored, through a process of cooling, compression and expansion. When power is required, the liquid air is drawn from storage tanks, pumped to high pressure and reheated, with the resulting high-pressure gas used to power a turbine and generate clean electricity on demand. The technology addresses some of the key issues of alternative storage techniques as it is more compact and can be located anywhere, has a long lifespan and can be integrated with existing infrastructure. Spencer Group’s Civils Division will begin work on site in late 2024, with the plant expected to be operational in 2026. Spencer Group’s Account Director, Richard Green-Morgan, added: “This is an area of the energy sector we’re thrilled to work in and we look forward to working with Highview Power to bring significant added value to this project and get the scheme off the ground in the most efficient way. “The uniqueness of our offering is that we have the ability to design all the elements in-house, meaning we are able to quickly and smoothly adapt the design around the client requirements. “The scale of this project means it has been several years in the making, so we’re excited to get on site early next year and begin delivering this pioneering development.” Thanks to the wide range of expertise within the business, Spencer Group has a proven track record of delivering highly successful projects within the energy sector and developing innovative solutions to aid client’s projects. Bringing together knowledge and skills from its civil engineering, mechanical and electrical (M&E) and materials handling teams, Spencer Group is able to deliver power generation projects from start to finish, from planning and designing the plant from scratch, to designing and building the access infrastructure, and commissioning the site when it is built. Highview Power recently secured backing from UK Infrastructure Bank and energy and services company Centrica, alongside a syndicate of investors including Rio Tinto, Goldman Sachs, KIRKBI and Mosaic Capital, to help fund its ambitious plans to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero. The Carrington development is expected to create more than 700 jobs, and it is hoped that it will be the first of many similar plants around the UK, with Highview Power already planning the next four larger scale facilities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A new online PV Configurator from BMI Redland is set to streamline the solar PV project design process as the UK continues to see a record growth in installations. The Redland PV Configurator has been developed to address a growing need for support in cutting through complexity and getting accurate technical information for projects – such as how the shape of the roof impacts the size of the array and the layout required, and how this relates to the desired power output. The tool is free to access on the BMI website, giving anyone planning solar PV work an easy-to-use method of producing technical designs and specifications. Damien Pooley, Portfolio Manager for Pitched Roofing at BMI, explains: “The new configurator will help to reduce overall project time. We’ve designed it to be intuitive and easy to use, and it creates a comprehensive report which clearly lists out all the component parts required for the PV InDaX Adapt system to work in an easy-to-understand specification pack. “The use of solar PV is growing rapidly in the UK – figures from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) show a rise in installations of nearly 30% last year alone. That means greater demands on the construction industry to deliver solar PV across a growing range and volume of projects. We want to help to do this efficiently, with the planning phase often cited as a bottleneck, given the technical information that must be obtained and checked. “The Redland PV Configurator has been developed specifically for ease of use so that projects aren’t held up by needless complexity at the design stage. With just a few clicks to enter project information, users can receive a bespoke Project Pack with technical details of the specific PV array requirements, and a complete list of the components needed to get started.” The new configurator is just the latest way in which Redland is making it easier to complete high quality solar PV installations. The Redland PV InDaX Adapt in-roof system itself consists of just 12 component parts and is therefore straightforward to install in comparison with many other systems. The MCS 012 and MCS 005 approved system also offers a 25-year power output guarantee and 10-year product warranty for peace of mind. When designed and built in accordance with a Redland specification, roofs using PV InDaX Adapt can also be covered by the Redland SpecMaster 15-year whole roof guarantee for design liability. Damien concludes: “Here at Redland, we have over 100 years of roofing knowledge and expertise, and we’re delighted to put this to good use in helping simplify solar PV projects. Ultimately, this helps to offer a more efficient route to full roof confidence, given all Redland products are designed to work together and backed by our expert technical team.” To find out more about the PV InDaX Adapt system, go to bmigroup.com/uk/indax or to use the new PV Configurator visit bmigroup.com/uk/pv Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

meteocontrol introduces new platform “mc Assetpilot” at Smarter E Europe 2024 meteocontrol GmbH, a leading provider of energy and asset management solutions in the renewable energy sector, announces the introduction of its latest product, “mc Assetpilot,” at this year’s Smarter E Europe in Munich. Under the motto “Your assets under control,” trade fair visitors can get an exclusive insight into the comprehensive platform for financial asset management of renewable energy projects from June 19 to 21, 2024, at booth B5.210. Customer benefits in focus The mc Assetpilot offers a solution that helps plant operators effectively manage the financial tasks andies responsibilit in the area of financial asset management and optimize their processes. Users of the cloud-based platform receive clear financial insights, recognize potential issues early, and can easily manage documents and contacts. It is suitable for both individual projects and large portfolios. The mc Assetpilot is aimed at companies that are new to financial asset management as well as experienced asset managers looking to increase team efficiency and reduce manual workloads. Tailored solutions for practical use Dr. Stijn Stevens, CTO and Managing Director at meteocontrol, explains: “The mc Assetpilot is a significant advancement for asset managers who face daily challenges in financial management. Our solution provides a central platform that allows maximizing financial performance, eliminating structural inefficiencies, and significantly reducing the work.” Innovative features for maximum efficiency The mc Assetpilot stands out with its comprehensive features specifically tailored to the needs of the renewable energy industry: Test phase and market Launch Numerous meteocontrol customers are already testing the mc Assetpilot under real conditions. The final market launch is planned for July 1, 2024. Interested customers can contact the meteocontrol sales teams now to test the mc Assetpilot in advance. Rouven Lenhart, Executive Vice President at meteocontrol, adds: “With the mc Assetpilot, we offer our customers a powerful and user-friendly solution to meet the challenges of financial management in the renewable energy sector. We create a seamless connection between the technical requirements of portfolio management and the commercial needs. Our goal is to help our customers make their projects more efficient and maximize their investments.” Launch event and live product demo at Smarter E Europe 2024 On June 19, 2024, at 10:00 AM, a launch event with a public product demo will take place at the meteocontrol booth at Smarter E Europe. Interested visitors are invited to attend this event and learn about the new features of the platform. Visit meteocontrol at Smarter E Europe at booth B5.210 In line with the motto “Your assets under control,” meteocontrol invites all visitors to Smarter E Europe 2024 to stop by booth B5.210 and discover the latest solutions from the company. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals