Image: Ernst Schweizer.
Swiss metal engineering company Ernst Schweizer is preparing to boost its presence in the UK after claiming cutbacks to government subsidies have resulted in increased interest in self-consumption.
The company is engaging in a recruitment drive for distribution partners to support the launch of its MSP range of solar mounting systems, in addition to its Solrif photovoltaic in-roof mounting system which has been available since 1999.
The company bought the MSP range in 2014 from Hilti before developing and expanding it in the following years, growing the business in Europe before bringing it to the UK.
The product offering includes a new version of the mounting system for trapezoidal metal roofs (MSP-TT) and a mounting system for flat roofs south (the MSP-FR-S) based on and compatible with the east/west (MSP-FR-EW) system originally designed by Hilti.
Schweizer says it will focus its attention on the UK market after identifying growing demand for its rooftop solar mounting systems among EPCs, property developers, housebuilders, commercial construction companies and installers.
It says this has resulted from cuts to government subsidies for solar, which rather than reducing long-term demand for renewable energy have increased interest in self-consumption among both commercial and domestic electricity users.
The company added that markets like the UK are also starting to care about other factors rather than just payback, such as design aesthetics, reducing energy costs and international efforts to cut carbon emissions.
Schweizer, which has a UK office in Reigate, has not set a target number for distribution partners, instead claiming it will seek ‘a manageable number’ depending on their size, business model and geographical spread.
The company believes that especially on back-up and support issues, installers, builders and contractors will want to deal with local distributors and electrical wholesalers due to their local knowledge and networks.