Solar&StorageXtra: The Podcast

Turning ESG into strategy: How sustainability benefits both your business and the planet with TDi’s Assheton Carter

How can your business thrive while protecting the planet?
In this episode of the Solar&StorageXtra podcast, guest host Ken Davies is joined by Assheton Carter, Executive Chair of consultancy TDi Sustainability.
Together, they unpack what it really means to embed sustainability into corporate strategy - moving beyond buzzwords and towards meaningful, systemic change.
Assheton breaks down the concept of sustainable development, critiques the politicisation of ESG, and highlights the essential factors for businesses navigating today’s complex supply chains.
They also explore why sustainability should be seen as an ongoing journey, not a box-ticking exercise.
 
Key Topics & Timestamps:
0:26 – Introducing Assheton Carter and TDI Sustainability
2:11 – Why sustainability must involve the entire supply chain
3:29 – ESG vs. sustainable development
5:24 – The business case for sustainability
12:19 – Due diligence: from databases to boots on the ground
14:04 – Collective action to solve systemic issues
17:13 – Is sustainability just a one-off?
 
Credits:
Guest host: Ken Davies
Guest: Assheton Carter, Executive Chair of TDi Sustainability
Producer: Catie Owen, Editor of Solar&StorageXtra
Marketing: Katie Devaney, Marketing Director for Solar & Storage Live Europe
This podcast is a Terrapinn production. Discover the latest solar and storage news at solarstoragextra.com 
For podcast, editorial, thought leadership and commercial opportunities, get in touch with the Solar&StorageXtra team: catie.owen@terrapinn.com
 

Built from the underground up: How SELCE’s Giovanna Speciale turned a tube journey into a solar force for good

How did one book inspire a solar movement?
In this episode of the Solar&StorageXtra podcast, guest host Ken Davies sits down with Giovanna Speciale, Founder and CEO of South East London Community Energy (SELCE).
Giovanna explains how reading a heartbreaking book on a train in 2009 became the community-powered movement of today that’s transforming Southeast London’s energy future.
As a community benefit society, SELCE now has half a megawatt of solar across 11 sites including schools, community centres, leisure centres, and even a hotel – all benefiting the communities that use them.
Hear how SELCE is blending renewable energy, community investment, and social equity to reshape the local grid - one rooftop at a time.
 
Key Topics & Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction by Ken Davies
01:11 – How a tearful tube journey led to SELCE
06:30 - What is a community benefit society?
07:15 – Finding space for solar
09:16 – The current state of SELCE
10:42 – SELCE’s commercial rooftop solar
14:50 – Making passive customers engaged
17:00 – Addressing energy poverty
23:00 – Hope for the future
 
Credits:
Guest host: Ken Davies
Guest: Giovanna Speciale, Founder and CEO of South East London Community Energy (SELCE)
Producer: Catie Owen, Editor of Solar&StorageXtra
Marketing: Katie Devaney, Marketing Director for Solar & Storage Live Europe
This podcast is a Terrapinn production. Discover the latest solar and storage news at solarstoragextra.com 
For podcast, editorial, thought leadership and commercial opportunities, get in touch with the Solar&StorageXtra team: catie.owen@terrapinn.com

Avoiding legal landmines: navigating solar contracts with Rhiannon Morgan-Williams (Ashfords LLP)

Where are developers going wrong in their solar contracts?
In this episode of Solar&StorageXtra’s podcast, guest host Ken Davies speaks with Rhiannon Morgan-Williams, Partner at Ashfords LLP and a leading legal expert in renewable energy development.
With over a decade of experience advising developers and funders in solar and battery projects, Rhiannon shares her insider perspective on the evolving legal landscape around landowner agreements, option contracts, and the complexities developers face - from initial negotiation to grid connection.
From contract tips to agrivoltaics insights, this episode is essential listening for developers, landowners, and legal professionals in clean energy.
 
Key Topics & Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction by Ken Davies
02:15 - How legal processes have evolved in renewables
06:32 - What's driving contractual tensions with landowners
10:40 - Option agreements: trends in duration and terms
15:30 - Common developer mistakes and how to avoid them
21:10 - Grid connectivity delays and legal impacts
 
Credits:
Guest host: Ken Davies
Guest: Rhiannon Morgan-Williams, Partner at Ashfords LLP
Producer: Catie Owen, Editor of Solar&StorageXtra
Marketing: Katie Devaney, Marketing Director for Solar & Storage Live Europe
This podcast is a Terrapinn production. Discover the latest solar and storage news at solarstoragextra.com 
For podcast, editorial, thought leadership and commercial opportunities, get in touch with the Solar&StorageXtra team: catie.owen@terrapinn.com

ISEA’s Conall Bolger on the policy and possibilities behind Ireland’s solar surge

Is Ireland’s rapid solar growth sustainable?
In our second episode, guest host Ken Davies sits down with Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA), to unpack the rapid growth of solar in Ireland.
With the country’s solar capacity growing by 43% between 2023 and 2024 and a national target of 8 GW by 2030, it’s a pivotal moment for the sector.
Conall shares how ISEA has driven policy change, navigates the opportunities and obstacles facing the Irish market, and explores innovative approaches like agri-PV and hybrid energy solutions.
The conversation also tackles grid constraints, the role of auctions, and how Ireland balances land use concerns with its clean energy ambitions.
 
Key Topics & Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction by Ken Davies
02:10 - What’s behind Ireland’s solar boom
05:45 - ISEA’s recent policy successes
09:30 – Ireland’s grid constraints and solutions
13:00 - Balancing agri-PV and land use
16:40 - The role of auctions and their impact on market growth
20:25 - Hybrid & co-location projects.
24:00 - What’s next for the Irish solar sector
 
Credits:
Guest host: Ken Davies
Guest: Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA)
Producer: Catie Owen, Editor of Solar&StorageXtra
Marketing: Katie Devaney, Marketing Director for Solar & Storage Live Europe
This podcast is a Terrapinn production. Discover the latest solar and storage news at solarstoragextra.com 
For podcast, editorial, thought leadership and commercial opportunities, get in touch with the Solar&StorageXtra team: catie.owen@terrapinn.com

SEUK’s Gemma Grimes on building the UK’s solar future

Can the UK hit 60GW of solar by 2030?
In our first-ever episode, guest host Ken Davies, a chemical engineer with extensive industrial experience, speaks with Gemma Grimes, Director of Policy and Delivery at Solar Energy UK.
Together, they explore the UK’s bold clean energy targets, policy shifts, and the real-world challenges of scaling solar to 60GW by 2030 - and potentially 90GW by 2035.
Gemma unpacks the economic value of solar, key infrastructure hurdles, and why skills development is critical to reaching net zero. She also tackles land-use misconceptions, rooftop solar potential, and how future standards could drive (or hinder) adoption.
Key Topics & Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction by Ken Davies
02:30 – Solar deployment milestones & 2030 targets
04:45 – Political support & policy direction
07:00 – Economic benefits & job creation
11:40 – Grid infrastructure & planning challenges
16:00 – Skills gap and talent development
22:00 – Land-use myths & public perceptions
24:30 – Future Homes Standards & Policy Outlook
25:30 – Optimism for solar's future in the UK
 
Credits:
Guest host: Ken Davies
Guest: Gemma Grimes, Director of Policy and Delivery at Solar Energy UK
Producer: Catie Owen, Editor of Solar&StorageXtra 
Marketing: Katie Devaney, Marketing Director for Solar & Storage Live Europe
This podcast is a Terrapinn production. Discover the latest solar and storage news at solarstoragextra.com 
For podcast, editorial, thought leadership and commercial opportunities, get in touch with the Solar&StorageXtra team: catie.owen@terrapinn.com