North East solar specialist hits £5m turnover target against the odds

A designer and supplier of renewable energy solutions is boosting investment in the North East following its best year to date.

journey from setting up to becoming a leading light in its field has been just as turbulent as the industry in which it operates.

Founded by husband-and-wife Maria and Mark Dunville in 2011, Advanced Renewable Power (AR Power) was an early adopter of solar energy and battery storage, growing rapidly before the Government reduced solar scheme funding in 2015.

Maria Dunville said: “We started out from a small office above Tup Tup Palace in Newcastle before moving to space in South Tyneside, where we grew to a team of 10.

“Everything was going so smoothly but it really pulled the rug from under our feet when the government funding stopped to subsidise businesses switching to renewable energy. We’ve really had our peaks and troughs.

“We had a target of turning over £5m at the end of the financial year to April and we exceeded that after just six months.”

The company is also continuing to invest in the region over the next year, following its move to a new facility on Parsons Industrial Estate in Washington, supported by the Business Investment Team at Sunderland City Council.

The business investment team worked with AR to find the right premises with the move providing more space for its growing team of 30 and its fleet of 11 vans, and enabling it to invest in the new technology required to bring new solutions to the market.

Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “AR Power have shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity to overcome the hurdles they’ve faced and have shown the ingenuity required to not only overcome them, but to turn them into opportunities.”

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