ValantisMikrommatis

VP of Key Account Development Yellow Door Energy

"Yellow Door Energy is here to help businesses on their journey as we provide sustainable energy solutions beyond solar PV, such as hybrid/energy storage, EV charging stations and HVAC equipment upgrades."

Key Highlights

The UAE is undoubtedly a sustainability leader in the region.

Achieving Net Zero Emissions is both a technical and economic challenge, which can seem intimidating for some businesses.

QCongratulations on joining Yellow Door Energy. Please give us a bit of background about you and your career thus far.

Many thanks for the warm congratulations!

I am a mechanical engineer by training, having started my career working on x-ray detectors in London and spending some time with Mercedes-Benz cars in Cyprus, where I am originally from

My first job in solar was in the insurance industry, where I performed risk assessments on solar PV plants in Europe and around the world

Fast forward to today, over a decade later, I am still passionate about the industry and am energized by the momentum that businesses and countries are taking to meet their Net Zero targets. My time at DNV assisted in getting to know how key stakeholders in Europe and the Middle East are playing a major role in advancing the energy transition. At DNV, I served as Market Manager for Greece and the Mediterranean region Prior to that, I led the renewable energy advisory services business for Middle East and Africa

Overall, I have built my experience in consultancy, asset management and insurance across Europe, the Middle East and Africa My role as Vice President of Key Account Development at Yellow Door Energy puts me at the forefront for driving results, growth, and development of the business across a defined set of Strategic Key Accounts whilst managing a team of Key Account Professionals.

In terms of my educational background, I hold a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Mechanical Engineering from University College London (UCL) in the UK

QAs you focus on supporting key accounts or large multinational corporations, what do you think are the major challenges faced by these businesses?

Large multi-national corporations ultimately have to step up their game with regards to setting clear targets and defining their pathway. Achieving Net Zero Emissions is both a technical and economic challenge, which can seem intimidating for some businesses

Some ways to overcome the challenges are to:

Put in place the right leaders that will put an organization on the decarbonization map;

Upskill their staff to prioritize the shift to technologies that accelerate the energy transition;

Seek the right partners on the Net Zero journey.

It is not necessary to have all the answers today, but be cognizant that achieving Net Zero is a journey with multiple steps

Yellow Door Energy is here to help businesses on their journey as we provide sustainable energy solutions beyond solar PV, such as hybrid/energy storage, EV charging stations and HVAC equipment upgrades

Q2023 is the Year of Sustainability in the UAE and the country is also hosting COP28 in November. Which UAE-based businesses do you think are doing a stellar job at promoting and implementing sustainability practices?

The UAE is undoubtedly a sustainability leader in the region We see many UAE-based businesses doing their part to contribute to the nation’s Net Zero by 2050 target and celebrate the Year of Sustainability

Amongst our multi-national customers, we can see that Nestlé, Unilever, Mondelēz, and Daikin are leading in the path towards Net Zero

Regional companies such as Majid Al Futtaim and United Foods are also actively doing their part to lower carbon emissions

These leading businesses partner with Yellow Door Energy through a solar lease, or solar power purchase agreement This is a zerocapex option to switch to clean energy, reduce energy costs and become more sustainable Their Net Zero ambitions are aligned with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, making them exceptional advocates for COP28

QWhere can the SolarQuarter audience get more information?

You can reach out to me directly on LinkedIn www linkedin com/in/valantismikrommatis, email us at gosolar@yellowdoorenergy com or give any of our offices a call!

Robotic cleaning, inspection & maintenance can stop PV performance degradation

In recent years, it's better known that solar panels can reach up to 33% less power output due to soiling, microcracks and hot spots, amongst other manufacturing reasons Hence, the industry's attention has slowly shifted towards detecting the best way to keep solar panels sheltered from natural elements (sand, dust and soil cementation, extreme heat and humidity) on a daily basis and during every season of the year

Especially in desert climates, like the MENA region, with extremely high and low temperatures and severe soiling problems, a smart multifaceted solution is necessary to extend the lifetime of solar parks and support the park's staff to do their best with the means and technologies provided

To offer a more holistic approach to PV maintenance, a reliable robotic system should be comprised of cleaning robotic units equipped with cutting-edge software and hardware include a smart monitoring system for the PV cleaning performance and adjust the frequency and mode as dictated by deep learning algorithms and the respective soiling rate go beyond PV cleaning by conducting advanced analysis of the 24/7 data collected by the robotics units identify hotspots, microcracks and structural problems that may damage the PV modules and promptly notify the O&M team to take action perform real-time analytics regarding the solar park's microclimate conditions provide seamless and time-saving services to solar panels to avoid interference with their operation, as opposed to how a sea of workers would fail to meet expectations at the same tasks while causing financial loss

Therefore, collaborating with a robotics company with the above services is a fundamental investment that can predetermine a solar park's future The right partner will lean over every solar park's needs and make it their mission to improve and even streamline maintenance and repair processes. They will also have the responsibility to give assurance that their robotic system works for the benefit of the solar park, from the protection of the PV coatings to the reliability of the PV data collection

Το Solbotix, continuous innovation is the number one principle since the demand for smarter, more efficient solutions is growing day by day By leaning over the arising solar industry issues, the company offers a holistic approach to solar panels that prioritises PV cleaning but does not limit itself to that The engineering team has built a technological system with functionalities focusing on effective inspection, preventive maintenance, and timely repairs Ultimately, Solbotix testing sessions never cease to happen, aiming to further solidify the company's technical expertise, reliability, and positive impact on the solar industry