Rapid market expansion in the solar thermal marketplace with heating and plumbing contractors being the major source of installation was the single most important finding of recent field research.
Over 22% of those surveyed have already been involved in solar heating installation with a massive 40% committed to attending training courses in the next 12 months.
The research also showed that there is a definite skills shortage in this marketplace with nearly 20% stating that they had turned away solar work as they did not have the necessary technical knowledge.
Approaching half of those surveyed 44% - believe that over the next five years it will become an important part of their businesses and 46% either have or will be attending training courses on solar energy.
Another aspect that came out of the research is what the industry perceives as the end-users’ motivations for wanting solar heating products; when asked why solar energy is becoming common place 50% of contractors said that it was the end-users’ desire to be environmentally and energy conscious. Less than 10% of contractors believed that end-users’ were looking to renewable energy products to reduce their bills. This is an interesting dynamic given the amount of attention and focus given to payback periods.
The survey reviewed other types of renewable products and whether contractors would move into these areas also – but 40% stated that solar was the priority. Solar may have come out on top but 22% said that they would also be interested in fitting either gas absorption or ground source heat pumps. All other forms of renewable products – micro, wind etc, received very low interest.
Another positive pointer for the solar market is that when contractors were asked why they were not carrying out solar installations only 10% said that it was because they had little or no customer demand.
However, there is a great wealth of research now available on the solar market. An independent survey of domestic hot water solar systems installed in the UK between 1970 and 1994 has recently been undertaken on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.
It is estimated that there were 42,000 Active Solar Heating systems in the UK. This number has been constantly growing and there are simple reasons for this – advances in technology, consumer demand, and central Government climate change policy. Since 1994 this number of installations has grown to an estimated 80,000.
Here in the UK we are lucky enough to receive vast amounts of solar energy with up to as much as 60% of what is received at the equator. Total electricity generation from renewable energy resources in 2006 amounted to 18,133 GWh, an increase of 1,263 GWh - which was up by 7.5% on 2005.
This shows just how rapidly the renewable energy market is progressing and expanding. As a result all renewable sources provided 4.55% of the electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2006, this leaves a great deal of room for expansion in the market – greenhouse gas levels have to fall – so the potential for solar power is undoubtedly high (figures from the DTI and Solar Trade Association).
Growth in Electricity Generation from Renewables since 1990
The graph shows a steady constant growth in the percentage of UK electricity generation from renewables and it also shows the market has sped up its growth in the last few years.
Unlike hydro, which has stayed generally at the same level, wind, wave solar and bio fuels have been continually developing. The UK is constantly investing money in furthering solar energy and photovoltaics and currently there are six UK universities and seven companies working together to evolve solar cell technology.
It’s a £4.5m project and is the largest of its kind to have taken place. This ongoing development has seen solar panels be introduced in a leading high street electronics store where it can be purchased. The sustained ascendance to progression could be due to its practicality for both householders and the commercial sector.
