Installers looking at diversifying their offering in the wake of policy upheaval are most concerned about understanding their new markets and identifying new customers, according to results of a Solar Media survey.
More than 54% of respondents to the survey identified those areas of particular concern moving forward, with the majority of UK-based installers already beginning to diversify into areas such as renewable heat and energy efficiency technologies as the country’s PV industry looks set to be hamstrung by punitive feed-in tariff cuts and limited deployment caps.
Just under half (49%) of respondents said they were immediately concerned about short-term cashflow. A number of prominent installers have already entered administration and there is every expectation more are to follow.
Technical training and education are also challenges that installers expect to face in the coming months, with 47% of those surveyed stating those factors to be a priority. This year’s Solar Energy UK show, which starts today at Birmingham’s NEC, is hosting a number of seminars on the topic of re-training and diversification over the course of the three-day event.
This is part three of our Solar Media survey results. Parts one and two can be found by clicking through to their respective links.