SA Energy discusses its growth in renewable energy, as well as the perks of working in a business centre.

Solar power globally is burning through the record books for all the right reasons.

Clean electricity generation from sunlight is reportedly doubling every three years on our planet, with a staggering 2,131 TWh reached in 2024 – a terawatt hour can power 100 million homes in one hour.

Britain rapidly expanding solar energy and is on track to beat the government’s 47-gigawatt Clean Power 2023 Plan.he 20 GW barrier for deployed solar capacity across nearly 1.9m domestic and commercial installations was provisionally broken in November 2025.

One gw of solar can power up to a million homes, and on 8 July 2025 solar output hit 14 GW. On the 8th July 2025, the highest-ever level of solar power on the grid was recorded at 14 GW.

Playing its part in this renewables charge is SA Energy, a Fareham Innovation Centre occupier which offers renewable energy solutions in the UK. They specialise in solar, battery storage and heat pumps for both homes and businesses.

The family‑run firm, founded by Simon and Amber Smith in 2019, now designs, builds and maintains modern energy systems. Originally based in their garden shed, SA Energy eventually needed to look at relocating to keep up with their customer demand. The shed was no longer large enough for growing electronics testing and IT work, and even the spare room couldn’t cope. They moved into an office at Fareham Innovation Centre in 2022 and now have two workshop units side by side.

Simon and Amber Smith, founders of SA Energy

Internal Opportunities

With 250 domestic and 50 commercial installs completed, including retrofits, SA Energy puts a good measure of its success down to networking at Fareham Innovation Centre.

“Some of the opportunities which have come our way would have never happened if our paths had not crossed with the right people at the centre.”

Simon Smith, Director of SA Energy.

An electronics engineer by background, Simon added “We’ve had install orders and referrals from staff who work for dozens of the companies here, and the on-site networking, business support and events have shortened the time it would have taken to make established relationships in the ‘outside world'”

“For instance, there are events put on by local councils, industry and companies which help us make connections, along with seasonally themed gatherings such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and charity cake bake sales.”

SA Energy’s presence at the centre has not only grown with workspace. The business has already put on two educational seminars, Green Energy Live, in 2025 held in The Bridge conference suite. This attracted more than 40 industry attendees for each one.

“These events weren’t about us selling. It was very much about sector knowledge and insights from the technicalities to the practicalities.”

“Having a conference suite a flight of stairs away from the office is amazing. It makes planning far easier and is a fantastic venue.”

SA Energy, like many other resident occupiers at the centre, utilises complimentary business support from the in-house Innovation Director. One-to-one meetings explore marketing and strategy, with sense check essential to keeping minds focused.

Furthermore, internal opportunities have also extended to the firm doing business with other occupiers, what Simon describes as “cross polination”.

For example, SA Energy reached out to the software company Lumico Digital. This allowed the creation of a virtual reality app so customers can visualise their renewable set-up in real world.

SA Energy also puts business to Solent Architecture and Solent Way Computers, increasing inward investment and benefiting the local economy.

Primary Energy

Regarding jobs, the firm employs three people – Simon, who heads up energy management consultation, production design and development, marketing manager Amber and electrician Dane Spencer, with more indirect jobs supported through the supply chain. They’ve also welcomed work‑experience students, giving younger generations valuable opportunities to learn and gain insight into the industry.

According to government figures, the solar power industry in the UK currently employs 17,000. By 2030 the estimate is up to 35,000.

With solar power delivering the lion’s share of growth in renewables, both internationally and domestically, coupled with photovoltaic (PV) panels being cheaper than ever due to exponential growth, solar energy is on course to be humankind’s largest source of primary energy within the next two decades.

SA energy is thriving from internal opportunities generated at Fareham Innovation Centre. If you would like to get involved in our events, click here to see what’s on next!