UK installer Caplor Energy has moved to reinforce its position in the market with the acquisition of failed solar firm Southern Solar.

The deal, announced today, will see Caplor broaden its geographical reach and take on Southern Solar’s customer base while Howard Johns, former managing director of Southern Solar, is to join Caplor as a part-time advisor.

Gareth Williams, managing director at Caplor Energy, told Solar Power Portal that the deal was an “excellent opportunity”.  

“There’s a lot of existing customers we can work with and look after from a services and maintenance point of view, and offering them other products in addition to solar,” he said.

Southern Solar collapsed less than two months after the feed-in tariff consultation was published and became the third major installer to fall into administration, following on from Mark Group and Climate Energy.

Williams said that whilst the deal would not save any of the jobs lost at Southern Solar, it would help reinforce Caplor’s position in the market.

“Hopefully by expanding our business in that way it will help protect our business. I’m hoping it will protect our position moving forwards and broaden our prospects,” he said.

Williams also refused to rule out similar additional deals if they were to present themselves. With cuts to the feed-in tariff looming and the UK solar industry all but certain to contract, he said it was “inevitable” that further consolidation would occur.

“A lot of businesses will either shut up shop or try and work together, and we’ll be happy continuing to try and consolidate with other people and work together,” he added.