For millions of people living in flats, rooftop solar has remained out of reach, not because the technology does not work, but because the energy system was never designed for them.
In this episode, Reg Platt, Founder of Emergent Energy and a member of Blue Earth Ventures, shares how more than two decades working across climate campaigning, energy policy and regulation led him to one of the biggest barriers holding back the clean energy transition: outdated market structures. Reg explains how Emergent Energy is enabling residents in multi-occupancy buildings to buy locally generated solar power directly, reducing household bills while creating a stronger commercial case for building owners to invest in decarbonisation.
We explore the company’s five-year journey working with Ofgem to help unlock regulatory change, the challenges of funding a business dependent on rewriting the rules, and its landmark project with Hackney Council, which is now delivering locally generated electricity to around 750 residents across 28 buildings.
The conversation also looks beyond rooftop solar to the future of local energy, where buildings can generate, store, trade and intelligently manage electricity, helping to create a cleaner, cheaper and fairer energy system.
This is a story about persistence, policy change and building an energy transition that works for everyone.
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