LONGi today announced the appointment of Ross Kent as General Manager for the UK and Ireland. In his new role, Kent will be responsible for leading LONGi's distributed generation and C&I business with a focus on driving growth, enhancing customer relationships as part of LONGi's customer-centric approach, and leading the introduction of new module and solar technology innovations including LONG’s high performance back contact technology HPBC.
With more than 13 years of experience in the solar industry, Ross brings a wealth of commercial expertise and strategic acumen to his new role. Prior to joining LONGi in Europe, he worked at Hanwha Q Cells for more than 10 years, serving as the company’s Head of Sales for UK, Ireland & Scandinavia for the past four years. Before that, he held a senior position at Rexel UK Ltd, a leading wholesale electrical distributor.
"I am thrilled to be joining LONGi's UK and Ireland organization at such a pivotal time. I am part of a highly dedicated and determined team and I am looking forward to the next phase of our journey. LONGi is already a well-known and respected brand in the UK & Ireland market. With the transition to back contact technology in full swing, our focus will be on educating distributors, installers, and end users, both residential and commercial, about the unrivalled benefits of this technology," said Ross.
“People want stability. Then they start to invest.” - UK’s solar market expected to grow significantly
The newly elected UK government revealed ambitious plans to boost investment in renewable energy using its publicly owned green power company GB Energy Initiative (GB Energy). Just recently, it announced a budget increase of more than 50% to over £1.5 billion aiming to deliver clean energy projects and boost the UK's energy security. As part of the planned investments, the Government announced to quadruple solar power investment.
Ross Kent on the developments: “With the election of the new UK government, the market potential for growth in the renewable energy sector has increased dramatically. The Government’s plans have led to increased optimism to transform the volatile market into a more stable one where reliable investment can be made. This emerging hope has the potential to bring change and new growth. Both the residential and C&I sectors will benefit from the Government’s plans. There is a huge untapped potential in the C&I sector in particular, as a sizeable proportion of industrial buildings lacks solar installations.”
"Performance and aesthetics of solar modules are key features for British and Irish customers“.
According to LONGi's internal studies and market observations, customers in Northern Europe are showing greater interest in aesthetically pleasing solar modules that blend seamlessly into their surroundings, while at the same time performance parameters determine the purchasing behaviour.
“The trend toward combining technology and beauty continues. LONGi responded to this by introducing two back contact modules as part of the Hi-MO X6 series – the Hi-MO X6 Explorer Full-Black as well as the Hi-MO X6 Artist Ultra Black, a premium black dual-glass back contact module with higher reliability and safety. Both are a perfect blend of cutting-edge technology and high aesthetic standards,” Kent concluded.
Ross holds a degree in Economics and Mathematical Sciences from the Open University in the UK. He is based in Leicestershire. The position of General Manager for the UK and Ireland has been newly created at LONGi in Europe.
Media Contact
Nadine Bütow I nadinebuetow@longi.com
About LONGi and LONGi Solar
LONGi Solar is one of the world’s largest solar technology companies. It is a subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology (LONGi), which was founded in 2000. LONGi has more than 60,000 employees, 30+ locations and 30 manufacturing sites globally. LONGi Europe is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The company has established five business sectors, covering mono silicon, wafers, cells and modules, commercial and industrial as well as residential distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment to support the development of zero-carbon energy globally.
Since 2021, LONGi has broken the photovoltaic (PV) cell conversion efficiency record 18 times in a row. Currently the company is holding two efficiency world records, both officially confirmed in 2024: 34.6% for crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells, and 27.30% for crystalline silicon Heterojunction Back Contact (HBC) solar cells. LONGi is the first Chinese solar manufacturer to join the three distinguished climate initiatives RE100, EP100 and EV100. Under the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), LONGi has set a 2030 emission reduction target aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent across its operations and productions compared to 2020 levels.