Living off-grid in Spain has given me a newfound appreciation for sustainability in all its forms.
It’s not always about generating my own power or harvesting rainwater—it’s about thinking differently, questioning what’s necessary, and embracing innovation. Expensive innovation.
So when my old friend, Mark, announced he was coming to visit from the UK, I knew we’d have plenty to talk about. We used to talk about harvesting the power of the sun when we were nippers.
Mark and I go way back.
We were at school together in Yorkshire then met in London years ago and shared a flat for a while.
I was still entrenched in city life, oblivious to the joys of solar panels and water filtration systems and the like. But even back then, we shared a fascination with self-sufficiency and sustainable solutions and discussed it all endlessly over a few pints in the local.
Fast forward to today, and while I’m busy figuring out how to keep my off-grid home running efficiently, Mark has built a company that’s shaking up the advertising industry in an entirely different way.
Promogroup: Sustainable Advertising on the Move
He runs Promogroup, the UK’s first mobile outdoor advertising company to fully transition to electric advans.
Instead of the traditional diesel-chugging billboards on wheels we’re accustomed to seeing on news programmes, adorned by relentless and i might say hopeless politicians, his fleet consists partly of digital advertising vans—zero-emission vehicles fitted with high-resolution digital screens, delivering messages in a greener, smarter way.
The concept is genius: keep advertising moving, but do it without adding to already unsustainable urban pollution. I like it.
When he pulled up outside my place in a rental Hyundai (sadly, not one of his electrified vans), I greeted him with a cold beer and an enthusiastic handshake.
We hadn’t seen each other in years, but within minutes, we were deep in conversation and a bit of bickering i might add, about the intersection of technology and sustainability.
From City Lights to Solar Power
“You’re living the dream, mate,” Mark said, glancing up at my solar array.
I felt. juvenilely proud to be honest.
“Meanwhile, I’m trying to drag an entire industry into the 21st century. It’s not easy”
Sustainable advertising wasn’t exactly where I thought he’d end up, but it made sense.
Cities are packed with noise, light pollution, and traffic, and traditional outdoor advertising only adds to the clutter. Team that with the flashing billboards everywhere, the strain on the ecosystem is palpable.
With Promogroup’s electric vans, advertisers still get their message across, but with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
“You’d be amazed how much resistance there was at first,” Mark admitted. “Big brands love the idea of sustainability—until it requires them to change how they operate. But now, with regulations tightening around emissions, they’re coming around.”
It reminded me of my own off-grid journey.
People love the idea of self-sufficiency, but when they realise how much planning and adaptation it takes, enthusiasm sometimes wavers. The trick, I told him, is proving that the sustainable option doesn’t mean sacrificing quality—it just means rethinking what’s possible.
Innovation, Whether on Wheels or in the Countryside
As we sat under the pergola, watching the last of the daylight, we got to talking about how businesses and individuals alike are shifting towards greener type solutions.
I explained my solar setup, the battery bank that keeps me powered through cloudy days, and my ongoing battle with water conservation in a country where rain is an endangered species.
“And you?” I asked. “What’s next for Promogroup?”
“Expansion,” he grinned. “We’re pushing to get more vans into Europe. Electric infrastructure is improving, and there’s a huge demand for mobile, sustainable advertising. Spain could be next.”
The thought of seeing one of his vans cruising through Valencia made me smile.
Maybe sustainability isn’t all about what we do in our own homes.
Maybe it’s about pushing for change in every industry, whether through off-grid living or revolutionising something like outdoor advertising.
That night, over a home-cooked meal and a few (many) more beers, we raised a toast—to progress, to friendship, and to the crazy idea that one day, the world might finally catch up with us greenies.