York-based installation company Green Building Renewables has expanded further southwards with the purchase of Poole-based H2ecO.
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, along with an onsite training facility which will complement GBR’s own industry training ambitions, GBR noted.
GBR, which is part of a group which also includes energy-efficiency specialist 21°, has made 12 acquisitions as it targets nationwide coverage of England by the end of 2024.
Since its formation in 2021, the company has grown from one office in York to 16 across England and has stated it wants to be ‘the UK’s leading green technology installation business by the end of 2025’ .
GBR managing director 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’s heat pump project installation at Athelhampton House in Dorchester, providing low-carbon 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, and followed a win in the National Energy Efficiency Awards in 2022.
Alex Payne, the chief executive of Green Building Renewables and 21°, said:
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 carbon 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.
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.
