Renewable Energy Installer February 2015 | Page 17

Trust in me
Cathy Debenham, YouGen founder, examines the barriers which persist in
restricting domestic uptake of solar PV
olar PV is everywhere. I defy you to
go on a journey and not see panels
on roofs or in a field. But have they
hit the mainstream? Not according to
a survey last year, which found there
are still plenty of barriers to entry.
While it identified a healthy appetite for solar
panels among homeowners in the UK, the things
stopping them from buying haven’t changed
much from the reasons identified pre Feed-in
Tariff. Cost is one, but so is ignorance of the Feed-
in Tariff, knowing where to go for advice, lack of
trust in solar sales people and finding a reliable
installer.
With interest in renewable heat continuing to
grow, I suspect the situation is the same, or worse,
in this sector too.
So what is to be done? On the ignorance of
FITs and RHI, most communication of incentives
is left to installers, with manufacturers putting
S
the majority of their marketing effort into trade
advertising. Is there a case for trade bodies
and manufacturers to get together to do more
consumer-facing advertising to educate and raise
awareness?
The reported concern about finding an
installer is fair enough. While I know that most
installers do a good job, I also regularly hear horror
stories of companies flouting all the standards.
To counter that I’d firstly ban all cold calling for
products that receive a government incentive.
Secondly, I’d like to see MCS significantly
ramp up the number and quality of inspection
visits it makes – and they should all be chosen
randomly.
Thirdly, installers can help build trust in
their services by signing up to review sites like
YouGen (other sites are available!) and asking their
customers to rate them.
Do you need to get out more?
Kim Mann, Krannich Solar, looks ahead to another busy year of industry events
W
hen diaries get full and business
is busy (or slow!), it’s easy to
underestimate the value of taking
the time to visit industry events
and exhibitions. What some see as a chore
and others see as a ‘jolly’ are, in my opinion,
usually an immensely productive, valuable and
invigorating experience.
In a world where we connect with
information and each other in a plethora of
virtual and electronic ways, it’s all too easy to
become rather insular and impersonal in the
way we interact and do business. Events such
as exhibitions are, by contrast, often the place
where you meet that great new contact, or find
the fantastic new product, which becomes
the catalyst for your next stage of business
development and growth.
The renewables industry is blessed with
a variety of high quality events, from sector-
specific exhibitions such as Solar Energy
UK to the unique format and wide appeal of
the Heating & Renewables Roadshows. The
Roadshows perfectly balance the quality and
scale of a national event with the convenience
and accessibility of a local one, enabling you
to experience the commercial benefits of
attending while minimising your expenditure
and operational downtime.
Thinking less further afield, next month’s
Ecobuild exhibition brings together the widest
range of renewables ‘big hitters’ under one
roof and offers you the opportunity to compare
and contrast a huge range of products and
companies in a uniquely direct way. There’s
nothing like having our direct competitors just
a couple of metres of blue carpet away to make
us ensure we are on top form and offering
renewables professionals the best possible
products, service and value.
Healthy competition in an environment
like this drives industry progress and
excellence, so why wouldn’t you want to come
along and see for yourself what the latest
developments are?
You can find Krannich on stand S6170.
www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk | 17