Meet our new sponsor!
We’re delighted to welcome local renewable energy service OHM Energy as sponsor of the Transition Town Lewes Newsletter. We asked director Jason Lindfield about the business and how it can help Lewes householders wanting to switch to clean energy.
What’s the main focus of your business?
We supply and install all sorts of renewable technology including solar PV panels, heat pumps, batteries and solar thermal. The key thing for me is giving good honest advice and providing the most effective solution for individuals or commercial entities. Anyone can sell the technology but we believe in understanding how and where it really works, not just ticking boxes. I’m passionate about being hands-on and staying on my toes given the fast pace of innovation.
How did you get to set up your own company? What is your background?
I lived in Spain for some years and worked with developers of off-grid properties that needed renewable power supplies. I learnt a lot from what was going on in Europe. I came back to the UK and about 11 years ago started this business with just two of us. We now have 18 people and are expanding.
Has your customer base changed?
It did start with people who had the money, mostly people in rural areas wanting to get off oil. We still have plenty of individual customers but it has changed as architects and developers are now coming to us, especially to install solar PV panels, batteries and electric vehicle chargers. We’ve also been involved recently in the OVO scheme, a trial run of heat pumps by the government with a plethora of different properties in the local area. We’ll be providing data for a potential national rollout.
What do you think you’ll get from your association with Transition Town Lewes?
I really enjoy getting to speak to local people and giving information and advice and would love to do some more events with you. I’m especially keen to get young people on board: there is a big demand and we need to bring the next generation through to help deliver. The event I particularly found worthwhile was the schools green careers project I took part in with the Railway Land Project.
What would be your top tips for people thinking about installing a heat pump?
Make sure your installer is MCS registered. Give us a call – we happily give information for free. See other people’s installations.
What we should we be watching in the evolution of clean energy?
Things to watch are grid trading with electricity [where storage batteries are connected to each other so that surplus renewable energy can be either stored, exported or sold outside the influence of big energy companies], the price of natural gas, and the latest innovations in hydrogen.
What are you doing personally to reduce your environmental impact?
My house is a testing ground for many of the things we supply and install. I’m also very conscious of what I do in my daily life.
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