As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been chatting with Joju Solar and Joju Charging Founder and CEO, Joe Michaels, to look forward to 2025.
Joe chats with Jenna about what the priorities are for Joju, and the impact he thinks community energy will continue to make.
Joe also shares his thoughts on the priorities for EV Charging Infrastructure and how important it is to get the right charge point in the right location – more so than the volume of EV charge points installed.
Turning to residential solar, Joe discusses his thoughts on battery storage and why it’s becoming central to many home energy systems.
Take a listen here for more thoughts from Joe.
We wish you a fantastic festive break and health and happiness in 2025.
If you’re an EV driver, or looking to make the switch, you’ll probably know Zapmap well! When you’re planning your route, Zapmap can be invaluable in providing up to date info on where operational EV chargers are, and with over 850,000 users it’s certainly a popular tool. Every year (for the past 7), Zapmap has conducted a driver survey to find out more about EV driver behaviour and responses to things like charge point infrastructure, locations, volume of options, and the vehicles themselves. The results of the 2024 survey have just been published in their annual charging insights report, and they make interesting reading.
Results highlights
Over 3,746 drivers of fully electric vehicles have taken part, and here are the key take outs:
71% of respondents have a dedicated home charger, but 51% use public charging at least monthly
The average satisfaction rating for publicly available chargers was 64 out of 100
61% of responding drivers say public charging infrastructure has improved in the last year for reliability and overall growth
The use of charging hubs is on the rise, with 53% saying they use hubs to charge. This has risen from 47% last year, reflecting the growth in hub destinations. Zapmap reports there are 486 rapid charging hubs across the UK, open to all EVs.
Motorway service stations are currently still the most popular place to charge with 58% of respondents charging EVs there
Supermarket charging has dropped to 38%, potentially due to the removal of free charging options
Drivers are also satisfied with their EVs. Zapmap reports an average satisfaction score of 87 out of 100, with cost-effectiveness (78%), environmental benefits (73%), and better vehicle performance (65%) as the reasons for owning an EV.
The continuing importance of Public EV Charging Infrastructure
With over half of survey respondents using public charging infrastructure, it just goes to show that reliable, publicly available EV charging is more important than ever.
According to Zapmap’s own figures, public charging has increased by 38% over the last 12 months andZapmap’s latest survey finds that that 61% of respondents say public charging infrastructure has improved in the last year in terms of reliability and growth.
With the new rules for Charge Point Operators (CPOs) now in effect, it will be interesting to see what the coming years brings too, in terms of improved customer experience.
Reaction
Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, said:
“As the UK transitions to electric, with now over 1.3 million BEVs on our roads, it’s good to see EV drivers reporting an increase in satisfaction with the charging infrastructure. However, to further improve on this, it is more important than ever for reliable, accessible, and efficient charging options to be available in the right locations to support this transformation.”
At Joju Charging, we couldn’t agree more! We’re working hard to achieve this and are looking forward to sharing more news with you in 2025 about the hubs we’re installing up and down the country.
As Joju’s CEO, Joe Michaels, commented:
“It’s encouraging to see the positive EV driver responses in the latest Zapmap survey, and not surprising to see the results reinforcing the importance of public EV Charging Infrastructure. Joju Charging is continuing to partner with councils and public bodies across the UK, to put more charging infrastructure in the ground as quickly and reliably as possible. 2025 looks very exciting as we install more hub sites with CPO Mer”.
Our Joju installed charge points, running on the Mer network, have hit a 10 million kWh milestone!
On average, you can travel 3.5miles per kWh in your EV, so this milestone equates to driving around the earth about 1,405 times. Wow!
It’s brilliant to be making a tangible difference and saving 832, 772.3 kilograms of CO2 whilst we are at it!
Charge Point Regulations Update
Are you charging on the Mer, or any other network around the country? If you are, then you should know that from November 24th, some updates mandated by the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 are coming into effect. This is what you can expect:
Contactless Payments
All new charge points over 8kW, and all existing rapid chargers, will have to offer contactless payment.
99% Reliability Target
Rapid chargers will be required to hit a 99% reliability target. That means more charge points operational and online performance data published.
24/7 Helpline
Charge Point Operators will need to provide a freephone 24/7 helpline, to make sure support is always available if you’re having issues using a charge point.
4. Open Data
Charge Point Operators will need to share real-time data on the status and availability of their Charge Points.
The regulations are designed to make things easier for EV drivers everywhere, many Charge Point Operators are already meeting these standards but from the end of November it will be compulsory.
It’s an incredible project making a real impact in the community, including:
– Solar installed on 14 schools and colleges, a community hub, a museum and a community council building, with more projects in the pipeline.
– 3,441 panels installed and counting… equating to over 1.4MWp of installed capacity
– 1101618 kWh generated every year
– 277.68 tonnes of CO2 saved per year
The project aims to:
drive the area forward to be net zero by 2030, reducing carbon emissions
bring local people/organisations together to support tackling climate change
accelerate the availability of renewable energy in the area
be run by local people and be the driving force for enabling a greener future
reduce energy costs for community/educational settings, enabling more funds to be prioritised on resources.
It delivers on all fronts.
The solar electricity generation, cost reduction and CO2 reduction results are impressive, but installing solar in North Lincolnshire is about much more. There’s a genuine focus on the value of learning opportunities for community benefit too.
NLCE, North Lincolnshire Council and Joju have run a series of environmental workshops at schools and colleges to speak with pupils about their solar installations and the wider topic of sustainability. A series of free, interactive community events have also been run, inviting the wider community to discover more about the benefits of solar energy, and to focus on sustainability topics, whilst experiencing family fun and positivity. We’ve provided free energy advice in community hubs too.
Joju CEO, Joe Michaels, said:
“It’s a real honour to win The Alan Clark Award this year. Community energy has been at the heart of Joju ever since we started, over 18 years ago, and it’s fantastic to be working with the teams at North Lincolnshire Council and NLCE to make a difference in the community, reduce carbon emissions, and improve air quality.
A huge thanks also goes to Energy4All for helping to make community energy a reality in North Lincolnshire, and I’d also like to say a personal congratulations to our hard working, highly skilled installation and management teams.
We are excited about what’s to come in North Lincolnshire and this is a wonderful way to celebrate what’s been achieved so far”.
We’ve got some exciting news to share. Joju Solar is the winner of Global Brands Magazine’s award for Most Innovative Renewable Energy Brand in the UK.
Global Brands Magazine provides a guide to the world’s best brands, the awards are in their 12th year and a thorough research team evaluates the brand from top to toe, so we’re proud to come out as 2024 recipients.
The reaction
The Global Brands Magazine judging panel commented:
“Joju Solar has shown remarkable commitment to innovation, quality branding, customer experience and impressive overall performance in the renewable energy sector in the United Kingdom.”
And Joju’s Managing Director, Jacob Colton, said:
“It’s fantastic to receive this award for the most innovative renewable energy brand in the UK – a real credit to our hardworking teams, who are always focused on delivering excellence for our customers. It’s particularly pleasing to be recognised across residential and commercial solar and battery storage, as well as for the work we do in the public and private sectors to install EV Charging infrastructure. We’d like to thank our clients and partners as we continue to help shape the renewable energy sector and make a tangible difference by improving air quality and reducing energy costs”.
Proud recipients
Huge congratulations go to our team and as Jacob said, a massive thank you to all our customers and partners.
After 18 years, we’re as committed to helping increase the uptake in solar, battery storage and EV Charging as we’ve always been. Thanks to Global Brands Magazine for seeing that in us and recognising it.
The Great Big Green Week has begun. It’s the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature, and we are right behind it!
Supporting energy change
Community action to bring about climate change, and more specifically energy change, is something we wholeheartedly support. In fact, we built the very first community-funded solar project in the UK, and have been responsible for nearly 10% of all community renewables in the UK – all of it rooftop mounted solar.
We work closely with our friends at Energy4All. It’s a partnership which has helped to bring about some incredible community energy projects, including installing an iconic solar array on Salisbury Cathedral, a 1.3 MW portfolio of community funded installations for M&S, and our 636kWp installation at Prodrive with the Low Carbon Hub. This became the largest community funded roof in the country.
Energy4All work with communities to develop these innovative renewable energy projects. They raise the funds for them to move forward, and we install the solar. We’ve recently finished one such community project and we’d love to share it with you, to celebrate The Great Big Green Week 2024.
Solar schools – Brentside Primary
Let’s shine a light on Brentside Primary Academy, a two form entry academy situated in Hanwell, in the London Borough of Ealing.
We’ve just installed 41.71kWp of solar PV here, helping the school make the transition to renewable energy. It’s part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions and make the school more environmentally sustainable. With an annual predicted generation of 37,580 kWh and CO2 savings of 7.78 tonnes per year, they are certainly well on their way to achieving their ambitions.
Brentside Primary was keen to swap to solar as it
“takes the pressure off the wider national grid infrastructure, and with the increased demand for electricity, the use of clean, renewable energy has never been more important. We would like to thank Energy4All and Joju Solar for making the project possible”.
Brentside’s solar installation is part of the portfolio of projects made possible by The Schools’ Energy Co-operative – a co-op installing community-funded solar panel systems on schools free of charge, as well as paying all its profits to its member schools. At Joju Solar, we’re very proud to be part of it.
Swap Together
So, this Great Big Green Week what will you swap? Have you got plans to change the way you generate or consume energy? Are you interested in running your home with solar energy? Does your workplace have a large roof that would be perfect for solar panels? Perhaps you’re a school that would love to follow in the footsteps of Brentside Academy?
If this Great Big Green Week (or any week!) you’d like to explore changing the way you generate and consume your energy, we’d love to help.
Just get in touch with us here and let’s create a green future together.
Already taking small steps or large strides to create a green future? Share the swaps you’re making, on The Great Big Green Week’s website, to celebrate The Great Big Green Week.
Back in February, a House of Lords enquiry found that the UK government must do more to counter the “misinformation” on electric vehicles, published in parts of the UK media. Fast forward a couple of months, and there’s still a consistent swirl of stories continuing to perpetuate certain myths about electric vehicles, including myths about battery life, pollution, range, and much more besides. This misinformation is also rife on social media.
Joju’s take
Joju Founder and CEO, Joe Michaels, thinks these inaccurate, often misleading stories are definitely having an impact on potential EV drivers:
“It’s making people slower to make decisions on transitioning from polluting fossil fuel vehicles, to cleaner vehicles . That’s the main problem, and people don’t know quite what to believe. I think it’s really important that people find a credible source of information”.
Joe goes on to say:
“There’s a huge market where it’s in their interest to create scepticism over the transition to electric vehicles and clean vehicles. It’s still a minority trying to explain why electric vehicles are better for the environment. You’re dealing with a David and Goliath situation still, and it’s quite easy for the fossil fuel market to swamp negative information about EV’s on to the market”.
Joe speaks more about the importance of fact checking in a recent interview, and you can listen to that, here:
Three resources busting the EV myths
The importance of having credible sources to refer to is essential, so whether you’re already an EV owner or you’re looking to make the switch to electric and want some myth busting information to get your facts straight, here are the top three places we recommend heading to for straight talking, factual info:
FairCharge’s little book of EV Myths
This recently published PDF might be small, but it packs a mighty punch, succinctly addressing some of the most embedded EV myths, using facts and data to set the record straight. EV batteries don’t last? Electric vehicles pollute more than petrol cars? Hydrogen will displace EV’s anyway? All these myths and more are debubnked in the little book. It’s completely free and you can download it here.
The Energy Saving Trust
A great source of always-impartial information is the Energy Saving Trust (EST). They have a dedicated section on their website debunking myths around electric vehicles, updated in February 2024. Head here for that one.
The Guardian EV Mythbusters series
One of the sources Joe refers to in his interview, is the series of articles in The Guardian, exploring the myths, the realities and the grey areas surrounding electric vehicles. It answers questions like, “Are electric cars too heavy for roads, bridges and car parks”? “Is it right to be worried about getting stranded in an electric car”? “Do electric cars pose a greater fire risk than petrol or diesel cars”? and lots more besides. Each article in the series covers the science associated with the topic and is a must for anyone wanting to find out more about the truth behind the claims. You can find the series here.
Let’s bust the EV myths and move forward with factual information that helps drive the change we want to see for our families, our friends, and our planet.
There’s been a lot happening in the EV charging space recently, in terms of initiatives to encourage electric vehicle adoption and the installation of EV charging infrastructure. Here’s our round up of the key highlights and specifics to have on your radar, when it comes to EV charging grants and funding measures.
EV charging grant for schools
The Department for Transport has recently increased the amount education institutions (including schools, colleges, academy trusts, and nurseries) can receive to install electric vehicle chargepoints.
The schools grant is part of the Workplace Charging Scheme and it’s open to all state-funded schools and educational institutions. It covers up to 75% of the cost of the purchase and install of EV chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket. That’s a significant rise from the previous £350.
Schools and educational settings can use the grant to install as many as 40 EV chargepoints across all sites. This is a great way to boost chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors. The Department for Transport has also advised that schools could use the chargepoints to generate revenue, by making them available to the public.
To be eligible to apply, any school or educational setting needs to have dedicated off-street parking facilities. You can make an application online here.
Our Joju Charging team can also talk you through the schools grant application process, if you’d like to get in touch.
We’ve been sharing news and supporting councils with information for applications for the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. The government is delivering £381 million to local authorities across the country, for the rollout of EV charging infrastructure to support drivers across the UK. The first capital payments for charging projects have been approved for local authorities including Bedford, East Sussex, North Yorkshire and the London boroughs of Hackney and Hounslow.
Here at Joju Charging, we’re also helping to bring EV charging to more rural areas in Dorset as part of a LEVI funded pilot. If you’re a local authority looking to reach more of your communities with EV charging infrastructure, do subscribe to our mailing listto hear more about a licence agreement we’ve created that could speed things up. The agreement enables tier 1 authorities to roll out EV charging networks across their areas, in association with sub authorities and even with the private sector. This framework has been over a year in the making, and we now have it for more of our local authority clients to benefit from.
Supporting EV chargepoint procurement
Through LEVI capability funding, almost 100 EV officers have been recruited to support chargepoint procurement. They will also help local authorities build teams to deliver EV charging projects. An electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course will be open to all local authorities from mid-March as well, after a successful trial.
The government is also launching a consultation to look at speeding up charge point installation across the county. Proposals would mean street works could be carried out using a permit (rather than a licence), which can be issued much faster.
Don’t forget ORCS!
Local authorities can also still access the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS). We’re always happy to talk through the application process with you.
A welcome drive to go electric
With the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealing that the UK achieved the million EV’s on the road milestone in early February, we welcome all measures to support local authorities and drivers to make the switch to electric. As EVIE’s Contractor of the Year, Joju Charging is always ready to support with the design and installation of reliable, robust EV Charging infrastructure.
Some good news for January! The number of battery electric vehicles on UK roads is expected to hit one million this month, according to the latest analysis.
The facts and figures
The RAC Foundation has announced that over 967,000 electric vehicles were licensed at the end of November. That’s up from 674,000 at the end of 2022. The figures are based on data from green consultancy, New AutoMotive.
Electric Vehicles currently make up 3% of all cars on UK roads and comprise 16% of the new car market. Government figures also show a 41% increase in first time registrations.
Encouraging electric vehicle growth
Growth is set to continue year on year under the Government’s zero-emission vehicles mandate (ZEV), which became law on January 3rd, 2024. It means that at least 22% of all new cars sold by each car manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission. That’s alongside 10% of all new vans.
This threshold will rise annually until it reaches 100% by 2035. Last September, Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030.
Manufacturers failing to meet these annual thresholds will need to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting vehicle sold above the limits.
Meeting the need with EV charging infrastructure
Of course, more EV’s on the road means more charging infrastructure is needed. There are currently over 50,000 public chargepoints in the UK, with Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Anthony Browne, citing that the charging network has already grown 44% since this time last year.
Joju Charging is working with local authorities up and down the country to bring more EV charge points online for EV drivers to charge their vehicles. Graeme Patton, Head of EV Charging at Joju, commented:
“It’s fantastic to see the growing number of drivers making the switch to electric vehicles and to be reaching the landmark of 1 million EV’s on the road this month. The challenge is to make sure there is enough infrastructure for people to charge when they’re out and about, whether that’s in public car parks, at on street chargepoints, destination, or en route. We’ll be continuing to partner with Councils across the UK to make that happen”.
With the Department of Transport aiming to hit 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, and Government investment of over £2billion to support the transition to electric, Graeme also added:
“Whilst we wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund (LEVI) to help councils with their infrastructure roll outs, the key is to have the right chargepoints, with the right speeds, in the right locations, to meet the needs of residents and visitors. Joju Charging is perfectly placed to support local authorities with this challenge, based on our extensive experience in the sector.”
Good news alert! The UK government has revealed plans to give further VAT relief on energy storage batteries from February 1st, 2024. The move extends beyond previous VAT relief, which was limited to batteries installed alongside solar panels. The policy now includes standalone battery installations and retrofitted batteries as well.
What exactly is changing?
In its 2022 Spring Statement, the government announced the expansion of VAT relief on energy-saving materials (ESMs). Following industry calls, the government launched a ‘Call for Evidence’ (CfE) seeking views on potential areas of further reform. As a direct result of the response, the government is expanding VAT relief to include:
Electrical battery storage
Water-source heat pumps
Diverters retrofitted to Energy Saving Materials, like solar panels and wind turbines
What’s included from a battery storage perspective?
The following is now subject to VAT relief:
Standalone battery storage
Battery storage that is fitted without solar will now be exempt from 20% VAT.
Retrofit batteries
A battery retrofitted to an existing solar array will also now be exempt from 20% VAT.
Battery storage added alongside solar PV
A battery or batteries fitted at the same time as solar panels will still be exempt from 20% VAT.
Our reaction
Dr Chris Jardine, Joju Solar’s Co-founder and Technical Director commented:
“Battery storage is a crucial part of the UK’s clean energy transition, and this is a move that’s positively welcomed by Joju Solar. Homeowners should never have been penalised for doing things in stages, and it’s great that people won’t now have to have all the funds in one go to save 20% on battery installs. We hope the move will encourage greater energy self-sufficiency in homes across the UK, and that we’ll see more and more households invest in energy storage as a result, leading to a growth in the sustainable technologies that are critical for a cleaner, greener future for all.”
If you were thinking of getting battery storage for your home, or adding to your existing system, but were put off by the price, it will soon be 20% cheaper – and that’s something to feel good about.
More about batteries
To find out more about our battery storage solutions, please head here.
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