Firefly: bringing solar power to everything, everywhere

Its been five years since FireFly launched, but 2013 is shaping up to be something of a turning point for the small outfit based in Lewes, Sussex. It recently secured a place in the final of the National Shell Springboard competition after being the winner in its own region. Springboard aims to find the next big idea in low carbon technology. Additionally, Firefly has received six months of business support from Hamilton Brandsaw Impact Partners, the investment group that focuses on small to medium-sized enterprises. Last, but certainly not least, the company has attracted renowned social entrepreneur, climate change writer, and founder of the UK’s biggest solar company, Solarcentury, Jeremy Leggett as chairman.

Rooted in the stage

Wind back a few years though and it was Mead’s 10 years working in temporary portable power for theatre productions that motivated his move into solar. A graduate of the Brit School, he worked in technical productions for shows, including the Royal Shakespeare Company.

According to Mead, too many times, introductions to an alternative energy market comes from academia; in his case, it was his technical knowhow and the ability to see a gap in the market that made FireFly Solar what it is today.

Though the transition might have seemed logical, there lied many challenges ahead for Mead and his company. The biggest challenge was making people “aware of the technology”, says Mead. When the idea of a portable solar power generator came out, many undoubtedly questioned its durability, costs and efficiency.

Mead claims he had to do a lot of “myth busting” when he started out: “People would ask what happens when it gets dark or cloudy?”

Mead admits there was once a premium attached to solar energy, but the cost of the technology has come down massively in recent years. This means a Firefly Cygnus Hybrid Power Generator, the latest addition in FireFly’s solar hybrid products, saves as much as 770 litres of fuel and costs from as little as £63.23 a week to hire.

For Mead, a major component of success for his company is educating people; both customers and investors.

“People need to understand that solar power can provide a cost effective energy source,” Mead says. “We shouldn’t be under any illusion that oil is infinite.”

In their quest to solve the looming energy crisis, Mead and his team of engineers, designers and sector specialists are attracting praise from an array of sources.

“Andy and his team at Firefly have demonstrated their commitment to excellence through their R&D into hybrid power generation systems (HPG). Their approach is one of business-sense, matching their innovation with market need, without compromising their focus on sustainability,” renowned Dragon’s Den entrepreneur James Caan says.

Now with the momentum behind FireFly Solar, Mead has set his sights on growing the business beyond the UK and Europe; the company is pairing up with some big companies to establish permanent ground solar power in East Africa.

That’s something his new company chairman can help with. From profits from Solarcentury, Leggett set up SolarAid, an award-winning charity that has sold over 500,000 lamps since 2010, making it the largest distributor of solar lights in Africa.

“It’s fantastic to have Jeremy on board, the experience he has in building a large solar business is invaluable as we grow Firefly,” says Mead.

But while Firefly might have its sights set on powering Africa with its clean energy systems, his company is still fully committed to serving a market closer to home, where the opportunities are as diverse as they are intriguing. A few weeks ago the company was sustainably powering its first ever sheep shearing event at the Balmoral Royal Show, Ireland’s largest agricultural and food event. Thanks to Firefly, powering everything, everywhere with clean energy is becoming a reality.