Solar thermal company Naked Energy has announced the opening of a new office in Madrid, marking its entry into Spain and Portugal.
The British firm, which specialises in converting solar energy into heat rather than electricity, using Virtu solar thermal collectors, announced the expansion following a recent £17 million funding round led by Barclays and E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions.
“Expanding into Spain and Portugal represents a natural next step for Naked Energy as we continue our mission to decarbonise heat globally,” commented Christophe Williams, CEO of Naked Energy. “The ongoing energy transition across both countries offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate the value of our high-performance solar thermal and PVT technologies.
“Our growth strategy is built on three key pillars: driving continuous technological innovation, building strong partnerships with leading industry players, and delivering flagship projects that showcase the financial and environmental impact our solutions have.”
New appointment
The company has hired Luis Guajardo, an industrial engineer with more than 15 years of experience in the water, industrial and energy sectors, as its new head of business development for Iberia.
“It is an exciting time to join as the company expands internationally and contributes to the energy transition,” Guajardo commented. “Naked Energy offers the world’s highest energy-density solar technology – with flexible financing models which enable clients to maximise energy generation with minimal upfront investment, even where space is limited.
“This approach aligns perfectly with the growing focus on energy efficiency, supporting the decarbonisation process in a cost-effective way. In Spain, we have the opportunity to leverage Energy Savings Certificates (CAEs) within that process.”
Naked Energy’s VirtuHOT collectors generate clean heat up to 120°C, while the VirtuPVT hybrid units produce both electricity and heat up to 75°C. The VirtuPVT is the world’s first evacuated hybrid solar collector to earn gold TÜV certification, the company said.
‘A crucial time’
According to the firm, its entry into Spain and Portugal comes at a ‘crucial time’ for the Iberian Peninsula, which had to deal with widespread power blackouts earlier this year. It added that because its solar thermal collectors generate energy independently of the grid, this can support businesses’ net-zero goals while also reducing grid dependency.
Naked Energy has installed Virtu projects in more than 20 countries, including the largest UK solar thermal project on the roof of the British Library. Read more here.
