Leading energy innovation at Connected Energy: introducing our new Head of Product Innovation, Michael Salvador

As the renewables sector grows, the complexities of managing solar and wind become more apparent. The key challenge is not just technical but ideological. The industry tends to idealize renewable energy, ignoring the downsides like waste and scalability hurdles. As one of my mentors used to say: “The most dangerous people in engineering are those who operate on faith rather than facts.”

Our industry needs to address these issues head-on. Connected Energy’s unique approach to reusing batteries speaks directly to this, solving some of the most pressing concerns around waste and resource efficiency. It’s one of the reasons I’m excited to be here – working with a great team to pioneer solutions that bring long-term value to our customers and partners.

Significant investments in R&D have led to remarkable advancements in lithium-ion battery technology – from improving chemistry stability to boosting energy and power density, as well as extending battery lifecycle. But the next innovation lies in maximising the use of these cells, especially as they reach a lower State of Health.

This is what Connected Energy is doing. We are pioneering a solution that gives second life batteries a new purpose by creating an alternative to first-life, BESS through state-of-the-art system integration. Our goal is to close the economic gap between first life and second life battery energy storage, providing customers with cost-effective options while offering manufacturers an alternative to moving their batteries directly into recycling.