4th August 2020
Expansion further establishes the South West region’s growing renewable energy cluster
Smart Metering Systems (“SMS Plc”), which installs and manages smart meters and carbon reduction (“CaRe”) assets, has announced its expansion to Cork after the recent acquisition of energy tech start-up Solo Energy.
The disruptive business model of Solo Energy includes the offer of battery storage, microgeneration, and electric vehicle (EV) charger installations at no-upfront cost to homes and businesses, with its goal to lower energy bills for consumers and help make the transition to renewables through establishing a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
This is achieved through the innovative, cloud-based FlexiGridÔ aggregation platform that Solo has developed in-house from its offices in Cork, and Orkney, Scotland. FlexiGridÔ centrally controls the distributed energy assets it installs to balance renewable generation and create efficient, local smart energy systems. The 20 software development and project management roles will be created over the next five years.
Killian O’Connor, Operations Director and Co-Founder of Solo Energy, commented: “With the backing of SMS Plc, we are now in a position to continue scaling the business in a sustainable manner while embracing new and exciting opportunities across the energy ecosystem. The 20 jobs created following our acquisition by SMS will also contribute to the fast-expanding renewable energy cluster in Cork and the South West region, and we are thrilled to play our part in growing such an important, innovative sector.”
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, said:“To transition to a greener economy, we will need innovative and disruptive companies to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise in the move to a low carbon future. SMS’s collaboration with Solo Energy will see the creation of 20 new highly skilled jobs in Cork. I wish them well for the future. Companies such as this one will help Ireland achieve our target of dramatically reducing carbon emissions.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland said “Today’s announcement by SMS Plc is in line with IDA Ireland’s strategy to continue to win investment and jobs in regional locations. Solo Energy is an excellent fit with IDA’s growing sustainable energy portfolio and the creation of 20 roles in Cork demonstrates the strong availability of talent in the region. I wish SMS Plc and Solo Energy every success with their expansion and assure them of the continued support of IDA Ireland.”
For more information on the roles available at SMS Plc/Solo Energy visit: smsplc.current.jobs/current-vacancies.aspx?page=1
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About SMS Plc
SMS plc [www.sms-plc.com] funds, installs and manages smart meters and carbon reduction (“CaRe”) assets which facilitate a smarter, greener and more efficient energy system that works better for consumers and suppliers. Established in 1995, SMS additionally provides strategic energy and carbon reduction consultancy services to large organisations, allowing them to enhance long-term sustainability and reach net-zero carbon emissions. The company is currently working alongside Britain’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, on a net-zero infrastructure project (VPACH) to rollout on-street electric vehicle charging points nationwide. SMS is headquartered in Glasgow with 12 locations across the UK & Ireland and employs in excess of 1,200 people.
About Solo Energy
Solo Energy [www.solo.energy] is building the power plant of the future – the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) – which is powered by 100% renewables and driven by decentralised energy storage and technology. The VPP is made possible by Solo’s innovative FlexiGridTM software, a cloud-based aggregation platform which enables buying, selling and trading of energy whilst also supporting the wider grid network and local renewable energy generators. The company’s disruptive business model deploys batteries and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers in homes and businesses across the grid at no upfront cost, which Solo then operates remotely to store and balance renewable generation, delivering cost savings to electricity suppliers, grid operators and end consumers. Within Ireland, Solo is a partner on the pioneering StoreNet project in Dingle, Kerry, alongside the International Energy Research Centre (IERC), Electric Ireland and ESB Networks. In Britain, Solo is working with Innovate UK on the ReFLEX project, which aims to integrate zero-carbon electricity, transport and heat networks on the Orkney islands.
Contact details Solo Energy
Killian O’Connor, Operation Director, Solo Energy, 086 325 0235
Contact details IDA Ireland
Ellen Lynch, Press & PR Manager, ellen.lynch@ida.ie 087 411 2084
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