Solar demand could heat up

24 February 2023

Could growing demand for installing solar panels on domestic roofs lead to demand for access equipment? 

A business that supplies inverters, batteries and other electrical equipment necessary for such systems and can train installers, reports that interest is rising sharply in the wake of soaring energy bills and uncertainty about grid capacity. 

The GoodWe company recently urged installers to invest in training to ensure they are prepared to meet demand. It says that the number of small-scale installations, excluding solar farms and large businesses, last May was 11,000, up from 5,000 the same time in 2021, according to the Solar Energy UK trade association. 

Interest and installations are expected to increase further as the government’s Energy Price Guarantee and financial help decreases from next April. 

This is obviously an embryonic market but some manufacturers and contractors have already developed products to meet the specific access needs of solar panel installers, as well as equipment for safe work at height. Perhaps demand for such equipment will hot up in future. 

● In its recent assessment released in January, the Construction Leadership Council’s Product Availability working group stated that the electro-technical sector is experiencing delays for solar products, such as inverters, batteries and mounting systems.

Following regulatory changes in December 2022, manufacturers have updated their products or are granted an Enforcement Undertaking by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) which allows them to continue to trade while they work towards product compliance. There is a fear, the working group stated, that cheap imports which are not compliant with the latest regulations may reach the market. Installers should check the provenance with their wholesalers and request a Statement of Compliance and, if applicable, an Enforcement Undertaking.