South Coast Insulation Services and Cotswold Energy Group are accelerating the UK’s net-zero goals
Founded in 2010 with a commitment to supporting the UK’s net-zero goals, South Coast Insulation Services (SCIS) is a Trustmark-approved installer specialising in energy efficient solutions. The business provides homeowners with trusted, innovative, and sustainable energy-saving solutions, encompassing cavity wall insulation, roof and loft insulation, internal and external wall insulation, ventilation and insulation extraction, and the installation of ground source and air source heat pumps, solar panels, and EV chargers.
With a goal to bring its services to the whole of the UK, SCIS is a one-stop shop for energy efficiency solutions for UK homes and businesses across the commercial, able-to-pay, and funded markets. As the need for clean energy in the UK and across the globe has risen in urgency, SCIS has expanded its offering, most notably by acquiring renewable energy company, Cotswold Energy Group (CEG), in 2023. 
CEG is committed to helping deliver the UK’s energy transition goals by providing straightforward, transparent, and accessible solutions to help homeowners and businesses adopt greener energy. To learn more about how both SCIS and CEG are accelerating the energy transition in the UK, we speak to the group’s CEO, Jon Bonnar.
“We’re incredibly proud to be the largest eco installer in the UK, with our leadership team offering combined practical and industry experience of over 60 years,” Jon begins. “Our success to date can be attributed to three critical aspects: our people, a strong drive to apply innovation in our methods and materials on every project, and our commitment to ensuring high quality and positive customer experiences.”
Having recently been featured in The Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Work in 2024’ list, culture is clearly an important part of Jon’s agenda. “When it comes to our people, we focus on creating an environment that allows people to flourish,” he states. “There are key elements to such a culture, like listening, valuing diverse opinions, and creating a safe space to challenge the status quo, as well as clarifying information to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities.
“We bring together immensely diverse groups of people under a shared set of values and beliefs, ultimately working together to solve the climate crisis. Undoubtedly, if we focus on our people, innovation, consistency, and dedication are returned in spades, and we’re delighted to have one of the lowest staff turnovers in the industry.”
Core of sustainability
Turning to current projects, Jon continues: “Every project, product, and partnership we invest in aims to encourage reduced carbon emissions and deliver long-term savings. We’re particularly excited about an ongoing project for a local school, where significant installations of both heat pumps and solar technology will work in conjunction to improve energy efficiency. In simple terms, excess heat generated by solar PVT can be redirected into boreholes in the school grounds. This regenerates energy into the ground ready for heat collectors to service the heat pumps, significantly increasing overall systems efficiency.
“We’ve also helped several of the Big Six energy companies on their missions to support customers with energy efficiency and home decarbonisation strategies. In fact, we are proud to be a Tier 1 partner to four of the Big Six energy suppliers and fully accredited by Trustmark, MCS, Gas Safe, OFTEC, Constructionline, BBA, and KIWA, just to name a few.
“In terms of innovation, we’re constantly implementing new technologies, materials, and equipment into our projects and working to bring new solutions to market. We were one of the first companies in the UK to deploy natural refrigerant air source heat pumps, for instance, which were installed at a leisure centre alongside a large solar array. The local school project previously mentioned, consists of a megawatt ground source heat pump, which paired with the Solar PVT, at the time of writing, makes it the largest system of its kind in the UK.”
Considering the group’s commitment to energy efficiency, it comes as no surprise that sustainability runs through its core. “The motto ‘reuse, repurpose, recycle’ is a positive daily reminder for us as a business to think and work creatively when it comes to our energy efficiency and renewable installation projects,” Jon states.
“A great example of this is our substantial £1.4 million decarbonisation project in partnership with Gloucestershire Constabulary. The heart of the project focused on replacing outdated fossil fuel boilers with bespoke renewable systems and deploying air source heat pumps to maximise energy efficiency. Our approach mostly reused or repurposed existing infrastructure, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and minimising excess waste materials.
“As part of this project, we seamlessly integrated a large solar array into the Tri-Services Centre, and strategically replaced the one-pipe heating system infrastructure, granting better heating control within the buildings and boosting efficiencies. The solar installation is anticipated to generate savings of £23,500 per annum, and the project across the three sites is expected to deliver annual carbon savings of 230 tonnes.”
Future vision
When it comes to wider ESG, Jon explains: “We work with local organisations and individuals with re-wilding schemes, alongside working with local groups to promote sustainable use of green technologies to assist in decarbonising. For example, post installation at the Police Stations, we conducted training sessions for Police and other staff within the buildings around their renewable technology maintenance to make sure they operate optimally and extend the life expectancy of products.
“We recently engaged with a local school during an 18-month long installation project to educate students and teachers about the importance of decarbonising the heat networks of schools. This was done by providing a screen in reception to run informational videos as well as planning a site trip and educational talk with GSCE and A-Level students on renewable technologies.
“Secondly, we collaborated with teachers at the school to organise an extra-curricular project for Geology, Economics, and Politics A-Level students on renewable energy and UK Government net-zero targets. For the remaining duration of the installation, we have also planned to attend a Careers Fair during Green Careers Week to give an ‘Inspire Lecture’ on careers within renewables.”
With our conversation coming to an end, Jon shares his vision for the future of the UK’s energy transition. “We’re committed to helping customers make informed decisions about the heating needs of individual households, and as a nation, there is still a long way to go to achieve the energy efficiency targets set out by the previous government,” he explains. “The next few years are critical to not only continue to drive national energy efficiency efforts, but also to help the UK stand proudly against its global peers when it comes to optimal energy standards and best practice.
“What this means in practice is providing all customers, suppliers, and stakeholders with the expertise, innovation, and trusted quality we pride ourselves on,” Jon concludes. “Personally, I am focused on cementing SCIS’ position as a market leader in energy efficiency solutions, with capabilities to really offer a ‘whole house’ solution. Only with a whole house solution can we address carbon savings sustainability by ensuring lower fuel costs simultaneously.”