One of the North East’s leading installers of micro-renewable energy technology has said demand for green building solutions is on the rise.
After delivering a presentation to delegates at the leading sustainability exhibition, and exhibiting at this year’s Carbon Show at the Business Design Centre in London, David Bilclough, chairman of Tyneside-based green building solutions company Sol2 o, said interest in installing micro-renewable capacity was increasing very quickly.
He said: “The sheer number of people wishing to know more about renewable energy infrastructure and how it could enhance their organisation’s performance was phenomenal.
“We had a stand at the show, and we were overwhelmed with interest and demand for information about our services and the range of technology types. I really believe that we’re close to a point where demand for on-site energy generation is going to boom in the UK.”
David added that despite the tricky economic climate, Sol2 o had installed more than £400,000 of renewable infrastructure during the summer.
“There’s been some useful stimulus to the market which has offset the worst effects of the economic downturn – developments like the Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme for example have really encouraged early adopters to make the leap to renewables,” he said.
“The coalition government – which wants to be seen as the greenest ever – also announced that local authorities and the public sector are also now eligible to install renewable technology and sell energy to the National Grid. The Government’s ‘Green Deal’, which was a hot topic on Sol2o’s stand, which will go live in 2011 aims to increase the energy efficiency of homes and small businesses by making energy efficiency affordable for all, whether people own or rent their property. The upfront finance will be attached to the building’s energy meter. People can then pay back over time with the repayments less than the savings on bills, meaning many benefit from day one. It will help save carbon, energy and money off fuel bills.
It’s the first estimate on the potential job creation from the projected £7 billion of Green Deal private sector investment per year. Where all 26 million households to take up the Green Deal over the next 20 years, employment in the sector would rise from its current level of 27,000 to something approaching 250,000, working all around the country to make our housing stock fit for a low carbon world. This could be another major market stimulus.
“We were delighted how much interest we got at the Carbon Show 2010. We have lots of business cards to follow up on – from both large and SME companies. Our sales and marketing team are going to very busy following these up in the coming weeks and we are hopeful that we will secure some orders for significant investment in Sol2o’s green building technologies.”
“Of course anyone interested in installing renewable energy solutions at their business or home should contact Steve Wigham at Sol2o on 0800 2800 020.”
Last month, Sol2o began retrofitting eight houses with solar thermal technology on the Easter Side Estate in Middlesbrough as part of the Eco-Easter Side project. It means the residents will be harnessing the power from the sun to heat water throughout the year.
For more information, visit www.sol2o.co.uk or call 0800 2800 020.