A New Look for HIT Energy Services as We Get Ready for the Shows
We have always enjoyed attending agricultural and renewable-energy shows.
They give us the chance to catch up with existing customers, meet new people and have proper face-to-face conversations about their solar PV systems, energy costs and plans for the future.
As we begin preparing for our next run of shows, we have also been looking closely at our exhibition stand and marketing materials.
The existing stand has served us well, but HIT Energy Services has moved forward considerably since it was originally designed. We therefore felt it was time for our marketing to properly reflect the business we have become.
Starting With the Solar You Already Own
HIT has never been a company that simply wants to sell customers more equipment.
Our approach starts by understanding the solar PV system the customer already owns and establishing whether it is genuinely producing as much as it should.
A solar system can remain online while still losing significant amounts of generation. An inverter may appear healthy, but individual strings, connections or other components could be underperforming without creating an obvious alarm.
Depending on the size of the system, unnoticed losses can be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of pounds each year.
IS YOUR EXISTING SOLAR WORKING HARD ENOUGH?
It is a simple question, but one many solar asset owners cannot confidently answer.
Monitor It. Understand It. Optimise It.
Our award-winning HIT Energy Guard platform independently monitors the performance of existing commercial and agricultural solar PV installations.
HIT Energy Guard was originally developed to help us determine whether a system was genuinely producing what it should – not merely whether its inverters appeared online.
The platform allows our team to identify irregular generation, developing faults and areas of underperformance. We then combine that information with more than 15 years of hands-on engineering experience to decide what action, if any, is required.
If the system is performing well, we will tell the customer to leave it alone and let it generate.
If something is wrong, we can investigate the cause, carry out testing, undertake maintenance and complete the necessary repairs.
Where an older solar asset requires more substantial improvement, we can look at repowering the installation by replacing ageing modules, inverters or other equipment to recover generation and extend its working life.
Our approach can be summarised very simply:
Monitor. Understand. Maintain. Optimise.
Adding Battery Storage Based on Real Site Data
The business has also developed beyond traditional solar monitoring and maintenance.
Once we understand the performance of the existing solar system, we can look at whether battery storage could help the customer retain and use more of the electricity they generate.
Through HIT Energy Services True Charge storage solutions and management, we analyse the site’s historic solar generation, electricity consumption, import and export, tariffs and weather data before recommending a battery solution.
We do not believe battery storage should be selected solely from the results of a design tool.
A battery needs to suit the way the site genuinely generates and consumes electricity. In some cases, it may make sense to start with a smaller battery and add further capacity once its real-world performance has been proven.
HIT Energy Guard can continue monitoring the existing solar while supporting the management of the battery – helping determine when it should charge from surplus solar, lower-cost grid electricity or a combination of both.
The result is a complete managed energy asset rather than separate solar and battery systems that do not work intelligently together.
A Stand That Reflects the Complete HIT Journey
Our updated exhibition stand will bring all these services together while keeping our core message clear.
It will explain how HIT can help customers:
Independently monitor existing solar PV
Identify unnoticed faults and lost generation
Complete expert maintenance and remedial work
Optimise or repower ageing solar assets
Assess battery storage using genuine site data
Manage solar and storage through HIT Energy Guard
Make more from the energy assets they already own
The new design will also introduce HIT Energy Services True Charge – our approach to battery storage solutions and ongoing energy management.
Why We Still Love Attending Shows
Technology has changed considerably since HIT Energy Guard was first developed, but the importance of meeting and talking to customers has not.
Shows allow people to bring us their questions, electricity bills, generation information and concerns about their existing systems. Often, a short conversation can highlight something worth investigating or identify an opportunity the customer had not previously considered.
We also enjoy catching up with the customers we have supported for many years. Many of those professional relationships have developed into genuine friendships, and it is always good to hear how their businesses and energy needs are changing.
If you see the new HIT Energy Services stand at an upcoming show, please come over and say hello.
Whether you are an existing customer or someone we have not met before, Simon and the HIT team will be happy to sit down, have a coffee and talk about what your solar and energy assets are really doing.
MAKE MORE FROM THE SOLAR YOU ALREADY OWN.
Talk to HIT Energy Services about your existing solar PV or battery-storage requirements.
Questions and Answers
These questions can be placed near the end of the published article, immediately before the final invitation to visit the stand.
How can I tell if my commercial solar PV system is underperforming?
A system can remain online and continue generating while individual strings, inverters or other components are producing less than expected. Independent performance monitoring compares what the system is actually producing with what it should reasonably be achieving.
Can my solar system be losing generation without showing a fault?
Yes. Not every performance problem creates an obvious inverter alarm. Failed strings, intermittent faults, overheating connectors, communication problems, insulation issues, dirt, shading and ageing equipment can all reduce generation without shutting down the complete system.
How much could unnoticed solar underperformance be costing me?
This depends on the size of the installation, the amount of performance being lost, electricity prices, export arrangements and any Feed-in Tariff income. On a large commercial or agricultural installation, even a relatively small percentage loss can be worth thousands of pounds each year.
What is HIT Energy Guard?
HIT Energy Guard is our award-winning solar monitoring and energy-management platform. It was originally developed to establish whether commercial solar PV systems were genuinely producing as much as they should. It helps our team identify outages, irregular generation and developing performance problems.
Is HIT Energy Guard tied to one inverter manufacturer?
No. HIT Energy Guard is independently developed and is not tied to one solar or battery manufacturer. This makes it particularly useful for monitoring older installations, mixed equipment and renewable-energy assets that may have changed over time.
What happens when HIT Energy Guard identifies a problem?
Our team reviews the information to understand what may be happening. If further investigation is required, our engineers can attend the site with a clearer idea of the likely problem. We can then undertake testing, maintenance or targeted remedial work to recover performance.
Should I optimise my existing solar before adding battery storage?
Yes. Before specifying battery storage, it is important to understand how the existing solar system is performing, how much electricity the site consumes and how much surplus energy is genuinely available. Installing a battery based on inaccurate generation assumptions could result in the wrong solution being selected.
What is HIT Energy Services True Charge?
True Charge is our approach to battery storage solutions and ongoing energy management. We analyse actual solar generation, site consumption, grid import and export, electricity tariffs and weather data before recommending a solution. HIT Energy Guard can then continue monitoring the solar while supporting intelligent battery management.
Do I need to replace my existing solar system if it is underperforming?
Not necessarily. Many problems can be addressed through maintenance, repairs or component replacement. Where equipment has become outdated or unreliable, we can assess whether targeted repowering would recover generation and extend the life of the asset. Our first step is always to understand what you already own before recommending what should come next.
Can I bring my solar generation information to an upcoming show?
Absolutely. If you have generation figures, electricity bills, inverter information or concerns about your system, bring them with you. Simon and the HIT team will be happy to take an initial look and talk through what the information may be showing. Whether you are an existing customer or someone we have not met before, please come over to the HIT Energy Services stand and say hello.
