GEEF 2024: In conversation with the founder and chairman of EcoVille Holding, Tigran Okhanyan

Within the framework of Georgia Energy Exhibition and Forum 2024, Invest in Network talked to Tigran Okhanyan, the founder and chairman of EcoVille Holding to find out more about the company, its activities and future ambitions in Georgia and the region.?#GEEF2024

Can you provide a brief overview of EcoVille??

EcoVille Holding, a leading multinational renewable energy company was established in 2015 and is specialized in solar energy, energy trade and E-mobility. EcoVille Solar, a holding company, with close to 10 years of experience in solar industry is specifically specialized in design, construction and maintenance of residential, commercial and industrial scale solar systems. It has over 170MW of designed and installed capacity in its portfolio (about 10?000 projects), and close to 250 employees. EcoVille is partnering with world leading tier 1 solar product manufacturers, officially representing those brands in the areas of operation.?

EcoVille Georgia was established in 2020 and is now one of the fastest growing solar companies in the country. The Holding also has operations in the United States (under Solarify brand) and Armenia, and is planning to enter 2 new markets in 2024, Switzerland and Uzbekistan.?

The other business directions are energy trade, under Volta Energy and e-mobility, under Arion Motors, which is specialized in electric vehicle trade and service, being an official representative of major electric car manufacturers in China.?

What inspired the founding of EcoVille, and what are its core values??

I started my career in construction and development of hydro power projects in Armenia in 2004, long before EcoVille was established. Every day, as I learned more about renewable energy, the more I became convinced that it is the future and there is no alternative to it in the long-run. And since 2010 I started to see that solar energy had the potential to become the largest energy generation source in the world. So, I used my chance to attend every major international conference and seminar related to solar energy. This was a period when solar photovoltaic technology advancements reached to a level that solar energy was becoming affordable for residential and commercial consumers. Considering this and the unlimited availability of solar energy on our planet, I saw a chance that I could become part of something very big by helping make clean energy accessible and available to anyone.??

From the very beginning of the company establishment when we started to develop our strategy, long-term approach and customer orientation was set in the core. We never saw this as a quick way of making profits, but rather built a strong infrastructure aiming to the long-term benefits. We have aimed at high quality service and customer satisfaction. Regular training culture in the company has made our professionals as one of the best in the industry. On the other hand, the products we use are among the best. After almost a decade away from the beginning, I can confidently say that our approach has paid off and EcoVille has become a top company in our sphere.?

What are the key products and services that Ecoville offers in the renewable energy market? How do you stay ahead in terms of innovation????

As I mentioned above, EcoVille Holding has a diversified business. In each and every market we offer different products and services, but our main products are solar photovoltaic systems for residential, commercial and utility-scale users. This is what we offer in Georgia. So, the population and businesses can install our solar systems and generate their own electricity, as well investors can generate electricity through our systems, sell it and earn profits. We also offer solar water heating systems which help people and businesses generate hot water from the sun for personal and commercial purposes.???

How do we stay ahead in terms of innovation: not only we try to be part of technological developments but we also invest heavily in our management and customer service systems. Every day we become better than yesterday by investing in education, trainings, software and recruitment mechanisms.?

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the Georgian market today? How do you plan to address these challenges and what opportunities do you see in the near future??

When people ask me who our customers are, I answer: “Potentially everyone”. That’s right, everyone who consumes electricity, and that’s absolutely everyone. So, in Georgia we have a huge potential market, but not an actual market. And the reason is the lack of information and education among the population and the business segment about solar energy. The vast majority of consumers don’t know about the advantages of solar systems, about the financial and environmental benefits they can receive by installing one. But this is normal. It is a normal routine process that every new market passes through. Thus, to address this challenge we invest heavily in educating people about the benefits of solar energy through various seminars, trainings, presentations, videos and other marketing campaigns. We explain them about the advantages and also about the risks they may face if they do not install a solar system. But above all, the best way to solve this challenge is to provide high quality service which has helped people not only trust our company, but also solar systems itself.?

On the other hand, we see this process as a big opportunity for us, as by fairly and honestly teaching people about solar energy, we earn credibility and trust as a company and as leaders.??

What are Ecoville’s short-term and long-term goals for growth and expansion in Georgia and abroad??

Our short-term goals are to continue actively educating the Georgian population about the benefits of solar energy, at the same time delivering high quality and timely service to our current customers.?

In the long-term our goal is to become “the solar company” in Georgia. Be it a resident, a business person or an investor, when they think about installing a solar system, EcoVille to be the first company that comes in mind. We have achieved this status in some of the established markets, including Armenia, where people associate EcoVille with quality and punctuality. If someone wants good quality and service, they come to us. But, of course, this has been a long and bumpy road and it does not happen in a month or two. Internationally our goal is to become a major EPC company and lead the development of solar energy worldwide.?

Are there any upcoming projects or partnerships that you are particularly excited about??

I am excited about the opportunity that Georgian market provides for growing our solar business where there are many partnership possibilities, great projects and lots of new ideas to pursue. We are currently negotiating with several major project owners, as well with business unions and associations with whom we are looking forward to create long-term partnerships.?