York energy firm Green Building Renewables (GBR) has expanded further along England’s Southern Coast by acquiring Poole-based company H2ecO Limited.

The Dorset-based renewables installation company is the twelfth acquisition in GBR’s buy-and-build strategy and the fourteenth acquisition in total by the group.

GBR says it remains on track to reach its target of total coverage of England by the end of 2024.

Since starting in 2021, its has grown from one office in York to 16 across England.

RECOMMENDED READING:

This latest acquisition supports its target of becoming the UK’s leading green technology installer by the end of 2025 and enabling customers across England to improve the performance, comfort, and health of their properties with renewable and high-performance heating.

Managing director of Green Building Renewables, Chris Delaney, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mike and Julie’s team in Poole to the broader Green Building Renewables family. The quality of their work and their expertise in renewable technology speak for themselves and enable our company to expand our operations into a new region of England.

“The South Coast is a prime location for homeowners and businesses alike to reap the benefits of renewable technologies in the UK. We look forward to enabling more people in this region to improve the performance of their properties.”

H2ecO was founded by husband-and-wife duo Mike and Julie Stephenson in Poole 14 years ago. The company provides solar, solar thermal, battery storage, MVHR and heat pump technology to domestic and commercial properties across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset.

Together, they have built an award-winning designer and installer of renewable technology. The company also has an onsite training facility which will complement GBR’s own industry training ambitions.

The company’s heat pump project installation at Athelhampton House and Gardens in Dorchester, which involved the design of low-carbon heating solutions to provide central heating and hot water for the Grade I*-listed Tudor building, won Best Renewable Heat Project at last year’s South West Energy Efficiency Awards, following on from the company’s win in the National Energy Efficiency Awards in 2022.

Mike Stephenson, H2ecO managing director, said: “Julie and I have worked hard with our excellent team to build our company’s reputation. We’re extremely proud that Green Building Renewables has recognised this hard work and wants us to join their nationwide network.

"The acquisition by Green Building Renewable secures the future of our company and allows our team to become a part of something bigger at a time when renewable energy and improving the performance of buildings within the UK has never been more important.”

Following this month’s General Election, the future of the UK’s energy and environmental policy is expected to be a significant topic for the new government. Last week, newly appointed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband outlined his priorities to deliver the country’s energy independence and cut bills through clean power by 2030, as well as upgrading Britain’s homes and cutting fuel poverty through its Warm Homes Plan.

Companies like Green Building Renewables and its sister company 21°, which aim to improve the energy performance and efficiency of buildings in the UK, say will have a pivotal role to play in helping people and the new government prepare the country’s homes for the future.

Alex Payne, the CEO of Green Building Renewables and 21°, added:  “Homeowners, businesses, and policymakers in the UK are becoming more aware of the need for high-performance buildings to transform the country’s building stock and meet the challenges that we face.

“The quality of low and renewable technology products now available is outstanding. They can transform how we generate and conserve energy, and improve our comfort and health. But these systems do need to be designed and installed properly, and underperform if done poorly. Quality matters, especially in a loosely regulated market, and so the people and talent we have within the company are what really set us apart from our competitors.

“Our buy-and-build strategy to assemble the best renewable technology experts across the county is allowing us to accelerate our market growth effectively and collectively develop industry-leading capabilities that others will not match.

"This is the fourteenth acquisition by the group and adding H2ecO to Green Building Renewables’network of companies is a perfect example of the high calibre of people we are bringing into and growing our business with. I welcome Mike, Julie and their team to ours and look forward to shaping the future performance of UK buildings with them.”

Alex Payne joined Green Building Renewables and 21 ° as CEO in April.

For more information, please contact:ryan.lewis@greenbuildingrenewables.co.uk