In this article, Lee Sutton, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of myenergi, explores how electrical installers can make the most of increasing demand for solar panels, as we leave the cold winter months behind us and start the transition to spring.
With the longest day of the year fast becoming a distant memory, householders are already looking towards the summer months and the opportunity to invest in their properties – especially when it comes to energy efficiency measures. As a result, over the coming months, demand for solar panels is expected to surge, inevitably offering greater commercial opportunities for installers.
But how can installers make the most out of the upcoming surge in solar installation requests and ensure they’re fully prepared for spring?
Stay ahead of the tech curve
In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, staying abreast of current technology trends is an integral part of maintaining competitive advantage. Innovating, challenging, learning from best practice and developing your business across a number of fast growth areas can help you to stay ahead of the game. First and foremost is understanding the direction of change when it comes to home energy generation.
Solar PV offers a simple way for homeowners to take control of their energy spend and live more sustainably. While it’s often suggested that purchasing and installing renewables is expensive and out of reach for the average energy user, this isn’t necessarily the case, especially with the cost of utilities continually on the rise.
According to consumer champion Which?, a typical 3.5kW solar PV array can be purchased and installed for around £5,500, generating enough power for a family of four. With Ofgem suggesting that the average annual household energy bill now sits at around £1,738 per year, the payback period of renewables is far shorter than many may think.
But while installing solar might then seem like the obvious choice, it’s important to understand its limitations in order to offer the best advice for your customers. Free, unlimited energy is certainly an attractive draw, but renewable generation is famously unpredictable.
Additionally, many homeowners will find themselves out of the house during periods of high generation and using the most of their energy during the darker hours. As such, it’s not unusual to see users exporting surplus energy to the grid during off-peak times and buying it back (at a far more expensive rate) when they actually need it most.
In the past, this has created a barrier to investment for many homeowners. However, owing to the latest developments in battery technology and new innovations in self-consumption solutions, the landscape is changing at breakneck speed.
Future-proof with eco-smart solutions
Myenergi is renowned for its eco-smart product range which has been specifically designed to maximise the value of renewable energy generation technology and improve payback periods for homeowners.
The company is best known for designing the market’s first solar-compatible EV charger – zappi – a future-proofed solution that, alongside operating as a mains-connected charging device, seamlessly integrates with renewable energy generation technologies and allows users to harness 100% green energy. In periods of low generation, zappi can automatically optimise around energy tariffs to enable charging at both cheaper and greener times from the grid.
Alongside zappi, myenergi also manufactures a wide range of other devices, including the eddi solar power diverter and libbi, a modular home energy storge system. The idea of smart, automated ecosystems that use renewable energy to charge our cars, warm our homes and store surplus for peak time deployment is a real game-changer, and it’s important that existing and potential new customers fully understand the advantages – and pitfalls – of adopting such tech.
Eco-smart devices such as these go a long way towards solving the challenge of intermittent renewable energy and closing the gap between periods of high generation and peak periods of use. By adopting energy storage, power diverter, solar-enabled EV charging solutions and other eco-smart tech, consumers can take more direct control of where and when their electricity is used, effectively slashing utility bills and considerably reducing their reliance on grid energy.
Continual development and training
The accessibility and increasing availability of more advanced green technology means higher demand and, inevitably, more inbound enquires for electrical installers. Alongside the uptick in direct orders, installers will also benefit from a greater ability to up-sell the new products rapidly coming to market.
For installers to make the most of the latest developments, the main priority should be training. Effectively installing products like power diverters and home batteries requires specialist knowledge, so installers should prepare for a boom in solar-supporting technology installations by seeking the right guidance and training. Additionally, installers can benefit from manufacturer-led training to get the latest guidance, and in some cases receive the best deals.
Staying acquainted with the latest and most advanced solutions through ongoing learning and development should be the number one priority for installers in a highly competitive marketplace. By staying abreast of current tech trends, new innovations and product guidance, installers can make the most out of the anticipated solar boom.
