Solar so good for family firm taking centre-stage to mark a decade of sunny success

A FAMILY-run Wearside renewable energy business is celebrating 10 years centre-stage of its sector by appointing a new director and installing state-of-the-art solar technology on one of the region’s most iconic buildings.

Advanced Renewable Power (ARP), based in Washington, is run by husband-and-wife team Mark and Maria Dunville, who started the business in 2011 from a small office in Newcastle city centre.

With ever-changing goalposts in government subsidies – not least the scrapping of the Feed-In Tariff scheme which encouraged renewable power – the couple have seen competitors come and go.

Yet despite the choppy seas, the business has grown, with impressive order books, a forecast tripling of turnover and a workforce now of 28.

The business has also changed its focus from domestic to commercial solar installations, particularly with the use of new battery storage which enables properties to capture energy from the sun via solar panels and then store it until needed.

ARP is the leading installer of solar photovoltaic battery storage in the region and an accredited installer for Tesla battery systems.

With a background in engineering, the firm has recently appointed Washington-born head of operations Chris Balmer to operations director, a position he relishes.

“This is an ever-growing industry that is revolutionising the way people get their energy,” he said. “I spent years in the manufacturing sector doing the same things and in the few months that I have been here, I have been impressed at the culture and the ‘can do’ ethos of the company.”

Among Chris’s first major projects was overseeing the installation of 11 solar systems at public buildings owned by Newcastle City Council, such as swimming pools.

Chris and his team are also responsible for fitting a state-of-the-art solar system to one of the most iconic buildings in Newcastle; the Theatre Royal.

“We have installed 31 panels on the roof of the theatre, which equates to 11.625kWp (kilowatt-peak maximum power) of solar power.

“This means any electricity used within the building will first come from the solar panels before pulling from the mains electricity grid,” said Chris. “We anticipate large savings on their electricity bills.”

Technical director Mark Dunville added: “Chris has already increased efficiency with his team and is currently working on several high-profile commercial installations across the region.

“He has a passion for the environment and fits right in with our goals to achieve net zero as soon as possible.

“As a family-run business, we are confident that our new addition to the family will help us to grow even more and encourage businesses to become greener and more efficient with their energy usage.”