[ Spotlight: Solar PV ]
ECA. ‘The problem is, though, that DECC destroyed the general public’s confidence in solar. Commercially, it’s a different story, as developers and commercial owners know solar represents good value and helps to meet their environmental targets.’ This view is certainly borne out by contractors
at the sharp end. ‘Unfortunately, homeowners are unaware that solar remains a good deal,’ says Thomas Mortimer, general manager at Wessex Renewable Energy. ‘Even at 15 p/kWh, you will achieve a payback in around 7-8 years, which is acceptable, but the daily press coverage following the boom hasn’t done us any favours.’ With prices for the solar PV panels less than half
that of a couple of years ago, certainly you would expect the domestic market not to have dipped quite so dramatically. ‘At those prices, people only have to invest around £6-7K rather than £16K,’ says Mortimer. ‘While that is still a significant sum, there are more people that have that kind of amount to invest than the monies required in the past.’
Price sensitive Certainly, those homeowners that do take the plunge would also benefit from reduced installation costs, as contractors have had to reduce margins to compete. ‘Margins on solar PV have fallen in line with margins that you see in traditional electrical contracting,’ says Tim Hughes, business area manager at Parker Energy. ‘It’s difficult to compete when you are pricing a job properly, using scaffolding, and along comes someone who will use ladders.’ Steve Harvey, managing director at Anolis, is taking a raincheck from domestic solar after not having had an enquiry for at least six months. Figures from Certsure, the joint venture set up
by the ECA and the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) that currently operates the NICEIC and ELECSA brands, show that there are many contractors sticking
Parker Energy puts Tipton in the swim
Tipton, in the West Midlands, now boasts a new swimming centre with solar PV, installed by Parker Energy, helping to achieve a BREEAM environmental rating of ‘Excellent’. The facility replaces the Queens Road Baths and consists of a 25-metre, six-lane pool plus a learner pool. The centre also includes a first floor fitness suite with 50 stations, and a dance studio at first floor level that will accommodate classes of up to 40 people. In order to achieve the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, the construction
incorporated glulaminated beams, timber cladding, CHP and photovoltaic panels. The predicted renewable energy generation is 3.6 kWh/m2
predicted fossil fuel consumption is 870 kWh/m2
(predicted electricity consumption is 109 kWh/m2 ).
; total Construction began in January 2012, with completion in spring 2013.
The contractor was Willmott Dixon Construction, and the building design was undertaken by Sandwell’s Urban Design Team.
About the author
Andrew Brister is a freelance journalist and editor. He has been involved in the building services sector for more than 20 years.
with it and continuing with registration under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Roughly six per cent of NICEIC-approved contractors are MCS registered and seven per cent of ELECSA contractors. ‘The dramatic fall in FITs to the current level had
a detrimental effect on the domestic market but, even in this sector, renewables are far from over,’ says Richard Pagett, external affairs director at Certsure.
June 2013 ECA Today 55
SHUTTERSTOCK/JASON WINTER
SHUTTERSTOCK/JELENA ELISSEEVA
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