“Last year was phenomenal for the solar industry, with nearly 200,000 installations in the UK. At Solarsense demand has reflected that growth and some. We have seen a huge increase in enquiries – a 400 per cent rise from sectors like manufacturing and warehousing, as well as airports and data centres. More and more companies are coming back to us wanting to expand on their existing systems as well as considering solar carports, which are gaining popularity”. Stephen Barrett, Managing Director – Solarsense
There are a number of factors behind these results, including a growing ambition to tackle climate change, an awareness of the role of renewables in an organisation’s ESG Policy and, of course, the much lower cost of panels and the rising costs of electricity which means solar is offering the best returns ever seen. With better battery technology coming down the road they are becoming a more cost effective and efficient option for companies who want to store and sell power in a smart way. The company are also seeing asset finance becoming increasingly popular with new options from specialist providers making installing solar PV cost neutral from Day one.
As well as converting to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) last year – what Barrett describes as smart succession planning for a business that puts community and nature at the heart of what it does – the Board have recently appointed a new Commercial Director, Ashley Wood, to support its growth ambitions. They are also working to promote an understanding of solar to those yet to embark on the journey (the finance, the planning and design, options for expansion and more) by bringing industry leaders around the table to discuss their experience of solar at special breakfast webinars.
The next webinar – Solar: Start to Finish – will take place on March 5th at 9.30am. “This is about joining the dots from early ambitions to convert to solar right through to assessment and expansion of systems following first year audits,” says Barrett. “It’s chance for conversations and best practise sharing about first steps on the journey, dispelling myths (like non south facing roofs aren’t suitable, when they can work really well) and looking at the finer detail of the planning and installation and what companies need to know before they get started. We’re welcoming hundreds of companies to our table for these events and seeing fascinating and useful discussions come out of them.”
To reserve your place or find out more visit Solar: Start to finish (free webinar)
