The Big Interview
Above : The Trina Solar showroom
“ There are also technical challenges to consider when targeting the commercial properties , many of these roofs are simply there to keep the rain out and not suitable for weight bearing , but that said the size of the prize is colossal .” Rushin suggested that if they hadn ’ t already started , installers should look to adopt their revenue models to continue to grow and develop . “ There are so many different business and serving the commercial market is more nuanced than most with the different considerations and reasons for the client to invest ,” he added . “ But installers shouldn ’ t be frightened by the complexities , they can be resolved and the market is such a sleeping giant .” or a Nestle , but they can certainly target their supply chain , these suppliers have a different set of drivers . “ These days are the last hurrah of residential installations , the current orders will all be concluded by the end of March . So we have to move on together and discover new territory . The UK solar industry is resilient , by the end of the 2017 / 18 financial year 1GW of solar generation would have been deployed . “ Until we reach grid parity those that will survive and thrive will be the more sophisticated and those that understand the different technologies . “ The industry will need to adopt a more holistic approach including LED lighting , voltage optimisation , insulation and of course energy storage . “ Installers should be looking at the whole building instead of just generation , energy efficiency followed by generation . It ’ s a natural conclusion of the energy argument . “ We are still here , we ’ ve been through the boom and bust of the low-hanging fruit in the residential market . The future for solar is still extremely bright but the shape of the market is changing considerably . “ The companies that depend on three or four orders a week will see their order books dry up . Installers should look at bringing in outside help and developing a portfolio of products . Rushkin described how Trina Solar has supplied 120MW of installations in the UK and is now eyeing up the energy storage market . “ We are aware that storage can standalone and complements well the commercial market ’ s idea of solar – it will play a crucial role in the overall mix of microgeneration . “ Solar remains the most popular form of energy for practical and technical reasons . It is easy and cheap to deploy , there are no moving parts and it goes down well with the planners . “ Our message to the installer community would be don ’ t be despondent , solar has a massive future in the UK . It is important to understand what the new audience is and adjust the message accordingly , it is equally as important to understand the market and where you can fit in .”
Excellent return on investment Rushin explained that while the residential market continues to suffer with lower than expected forecasts , the key to success will now be in mass deployment . He said : “ The days of signing up individual homeowners is over , while it still provides an excellent return on investment installers should be looking at how they install in five , 10 and 20,000 properties at a time . “ There is a lot of targeting on who to approach and how they should be approached . Some of the small and medium-sized installation companies may not be able to compete for the orders of the global corporate giants like a PepsiCo
Above : Trina Solar ’ s large-scale Wymeswold installation www . renewableenergyinstaller . co . uk | 13