Member Article

Sky is the limit for solar contracts

The sky is the limit for renewable energy entrepreneur Gerard Harrison who is exploring new markets after a company merger.

Gerard’s company Helios Eco Solutions – set up with help from Newcastle Science City two years ago – is now trading under the name Rosedale Utilities after a merger with the firm, which is based at Chilton Industrial Estate, County Durham and specialises in providing services to care homes.

The new team has gone on to win a number of lucrative contracts improving the energy efficiency of care homes across the UK and has branched out into a new area of work – installing electric vehicle charging posts and solar photovoltaic panels at commercial properties across the North of England as part of the award-winning EVPV initiative.

The project is the idea of tadea - a northern based not-for-profit organisation specialising in sustainable project management and advice services. tadea’s EVPV project is designed to offset the electricity demand created when charging electric vehicles through the use of solar power panels – reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and strengthening the region’s electric vehicle re-charging infrastructure.

Malcolm Potter, a project manager at tadea, said: “EVPV is a pioneering project and it is revolutionising the way electric vehicles are charged in the North East of England. By working with installers such as Gerard, we’re taking practical and effective steps along the way to making this green mode of transportation even greener.”

To date, Rosedale Utilities has completed EVPV installations at Wearside Golf Club, Sunderland, Mickleton service station near Barnard Castle and NETA training group, Stockton.

The company’s involvement in the initiative came about after the opportunity was identified by Newcastle Science City’s business support team.

Gerard said: “Electric vehicles are the future of transport and thanks to the foresight and networks of the business support team at Newcastle Science City, we are now playing a part in this emerging market.

“We have now become part of the North East Renewables Alliance set up by tadea which has allowed us to join forces with other suppliers to tender for larger projects and we are really excited about developing the company in this direction.”

Following the merger, Rosedale Utilities now employs 26 full-time engineers – having recruited five new members of staff in the past two months – and the firm plans to continue its growth with new contract wins across the UK bolstering its confidence.

Simon Green, head of business support at Newcastle Science City, said: “Gerard has come a long way since we first met at one of our First Friday networking events and it’s incredibly satisfying to see his business continue to evolve and thrive with our support.

“The expertise of his initial business Helios Eco Solutions clearly complements that of Rosedale Utilities and I’m sure the merger will bring new strength and direction to all involved. We’ll continue working with Gerard to ensure Rosedale maximises all of the exciting opportunities that are available to the growing cohort of regional companies providing sustainable solutions to everyday issues.”

Gerard is one of hundreds of North East science and technology entrepreneurs and businesspeople Newcastle Science City has worked with to commercialise new insight-led ideas, helping them to innovate and grow.

Newcastle Science City is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, securing £2.3million of ERDF investment. The ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013 is bringing over £300m into the North East to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Laura White .