Clearview National November 2014 - Issue 156 | Page 64

Solar & Renewable Energy

Fuel Your Business Ambition
“Finance has been a ‘game changer’ for the
Solar & Renewables Sector,” Consumer Credit
Solutions’ Andy Wallace tells Clearview...
»»“In the early days of solar PV,
the industry’s focus was very much on the
environmentally concerned ‘cash consumer’
and encouraging them to take the money out
of the bank and put it on their roof. Over
the last few years a new wave of marketingsavvy companies have entered the sector and
targeted the average homeowner, making
them aware of all the benefits, including the
Government’s feed-in tariff, and the ability
to reduce and inflation-proof energy costs.
In 2014, solar PV and other renewable
technology have become mass market
products.
“However, not everyone has the savings
available to make the necessary investment,
and over the last few years lenders have
stepped into the gap to make finance available
and allow purchases to take place. Without
finance, the industry simply couldn’t have

continued to grow after the initial rush of cash
buyers dried up.
“Today, I think most installers work under
the assumption that customers probably won’t
have the cash and will need some kind of
financing. We would estimate that more than
two-thirds of our clients’ solar PV sales are
completed through a finance proposition.
“Without getting into the politics, it’s
reasonable to say that perhaps the Green
Deal hasn’t delivered the success everyone
would have hoped for. Personal unsecured
loans, I believe, are a more palatable option
for homeowners than loans attached to their
property. Our loans on solar PV are typically
around 9.9% APR and, even allowing for the
interest charged over the life of a 10 year loan,
customers will still get an excellent return.
“A number of our clients in the glass and
glazing sector have seen a synergy with their

existing businesses and have successfully
promoted solar PV and other renewables to
their existing consumer base. For ambitious
managing directors it has become a way to
extend the reach of their businesses into new
markets and to cross-sell products.”

A Burst of Energy for your Business
»»Renewable energy
projects offer installers an
opportunity to diversify into new
areas and create an additional
revenue stream for their business.
The UK’s largest-ever solardedicated trade show, Solar
Energy UK, was back in October
and Clearview caught up with
Solar Cube Mounting Systems
Ltd to find out about a new cost
effective, reliable photovoltaic
mounting system that was
introduced by the company as a
means of assisting the installer.
Solar Cube is a designer and
producer of photovoltaic panel
mounting systems engineered
for utility-scale, industrial and
commercial developments. The
company operates locations in
the UK, United States and Asia,
offering PV mounting system
design, logistics, supply and
installation support.

PV mounting systems are
essential for better deployment
and adoption of photovoltaics as
a clean energy source, improving
outcomes and the overall
economics of renewable energy
production in PV projects.
The new designs are for
ground, roof and carport PV
projects, featuring durable designs
engineered for large production
capacity, utility and commercial
scale installations worldwide,
already in use at commercial
projects in the UK.
“PV mounting system
producers rarely make this kind of
commitment by working in synergy
with established steel manufacturers
as a production partner, and we are
fortunate that the Hadley Group
sees PV mounting systems as a
natural extension of their business
and a valid investment in clean
energy,” said Panos Bitarchas,

64 » N OV 2014 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

Solar Cube Mounting System’s
CEO. “Solar Developers want to
protect themselves from costly
expenses, and solar equipment
distributors are looking for new
profit opportunities in this very
competitive and cost-sensitive
business. Solar Cube’s mounting
systems meet both these needs.”
Solar Cube’s mounting systems
are produced by West Midlands
based Hadley Group, Europe’s
largest privately owned cold rolled
steel manufacturer; Solar Cube’s
systems combine Hadley’s deep
expertise in steel manufacturing

and advanced logistic ecosystem
with it’s own specialised
experience in Photovoltaic
mounting systems, empowering
solar professionals and
organisations with the intelligence
and capabilities to respond
to the rapidly evolving Solar
market landscape by offering
large manufacturing capacity,
reliable solutions and undisputed
know-how. The new line of Solar
Cube’s mounting systems are also
backed by an industry leading
structural performance warranty
of 20 years.