The eight technology challenges we see most in Scottish renewable energy companies are: connecting remote sites, equipping field teams, supply chain cyber requirements, keeping business IT apart from site control systems, onboarding for new projects, protecting project data, too many suppliers, and uncertainty about AI. They usually share one cause: technology added project by project instead of planned.
1. Connecting remote and rural sites
Solar farms and battery storage sites are built where land and grid capacity are available, not where broadband is. Fixed lines can be miles away, and 4G from all mobile operators covers only 67% of Scotland's landmass, the lowest of any UK nation (Ofcom, 2025). Site cabins still need drawings, permits, cameras and Teams calls.
Best practice: a connectivity plan for every site, based on a coverage check at the exact location. See Chapter 4.
2. Equipping field teams
Installers and engineers work on rooftops, in fields and at substations. Their phones and tablets hold site photos, drawings, permits and customer details, and they get dropped, rained on and lost.
Best practice: rugged devices where needed, the network with the best coverage at your sites, and every device centrally managed. See Chapter 5.
3. Supply chain cyber requirements
Developers, utilities and public bodies increasingly ask subcontractors and consultants to show security controls, usually starting with Cyber Essentials. Yet only 15% of UK businesses review the cyber risks posed by their own immediate suppliers (DSIT, April 2026), so the pressure mostly comes from the top of the chain down.
Best practice: treat Cyber Essentials as a condition of winning work. See Chapter 3.
4. Keeping business IT apart from site systems
Inverters, battery management systems and monitoring platforms are increasingly connected. If they share a network, or login details, with office laptops, a problem in one can spread to the other.
Best practice: separate networks, separate accounts, and clear responsibility for each side.
5. Onboarding for new projects
Renewables businesses grow in bursts. A new project can bring new starters, contractors and devices at a few weeks' notice, and when it ends, access has to be removed just as quickly.
Best practice: standard devices configured in advance through Microsoft Intune, and a written process for joiners and leavers.
6. Protecting project and commercial data
Grid applications, site designs, landowner agreements, planning documents and financial models are valuable and confidential. They're often shared with partners, consultants and investors by email attachment, with no control over where copies end up.
Best practice: one secure place for project documents, with controlled external sharing. See Chapter 6.
7. Too many suppliers
Many firms end up with separate providers for IT, broadband, site routers, phones and mobiles. When something fails at a remote site, nobody owns the problem.
Best practice: fewer suppliers and one roadmap. See Chapter 2.
8. Uncertainty about AI
We hear the same questions often. Is Microsoft Copilot worth it? Is our data safe? The opportunity is real, but only with clear objectives and sensible rules.
Best practice: start with practical uses that save time on reports and admin.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most common technology problem for solar and battery storage companies?
Connectivity at remote sites is the problem we're asked about most. Sites are chosen for land and grid access, not broadband, and rural mobile coverage in Scotland varies widely by network. A coverage check at the exact location, a managed 4G or 5G router and a backup connection solve most cases.
Why do renewables businesses struggle with IT as they grow?
Because growth comes in bursts tied to projects. Setups that work for 15 people break at 50, especially when new starters and contractors arrive at short notice. Standard devices, central management through Microsoft Intune and a joiners and leavers process let a business add people in days without losing control.
How Indigo does this. Indigo Unified Communications supports more than 10 renewable energy businesses from Glasgow, including solar and battery storage companies, installers and developers. The pattern we see most is a business that grew project by project: a router bought for one site, a phone contract for another, laptops set up by whoever joined first. We start by putting all of it on one list, then fix the risks before adding anything new.
Sources: Ofcom, Connected Nations 2025: Scotland report, 19 November 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/nations-report-2025 · DSIT, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, 30 April 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026
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