Viridian Solar extends partnership with Bellway ahead of uptick in building regulations

Viridian Solar has extended its partnership with housebuilder Bellway, which will see its Clearline fusion roof-integrated solar systems installed on many new homes.

The new National Supply Agreement builds on the companies’ initial partnership signed in 2019, extending it out to 2024.

It comes ahead of the changes to Building Regulations for energy efficiency in England and Wales in 2022, which will see more solar panels installed on new-builds.

“So far, the majority of our work with Bellway has been in Scotland, where more demanding energy regulations mean that most new homes now come with solar PV panels as standard,” Jamie Berryman, CSO at Viridian Solar said.

“We look forward to working closely with colleagues at Bellway to extend our successful collaboration to more of the regions as new regulations kick in.”

Additionally, for every solar panel installed by Bellway, the roof-integrated solar company will plant two trees as part of its Fusion Forest programme.

Viridian has a number of agreements with housebuilders including extending its deal with Persimmon Homes till 2023 in January 2021. It has also partnered Beech Developments, Newland Homes and Bloor Homes, among others.

Beyond builders, the company also extended its partnership with VELUX in 2021, when it unveiled new roofing kits. Last year also saw it launch new, larger solar modules, with the 335Wp and 340Wp modules marking a shift away from a 156mm cell size for the firm.

Viridian was acquired by roofing manufacturer Marley in April 2021, having initially started working with the company as a partnership in 2020. This has given it the “financial firepower” for further expansion, Viridian Solar CEO Stuart Elmes told Solar Power Portal at the time, including eying a number of further international markets such as the Netherlands.

“We have been extremely happy with the support, site design and layout optimisation that Viridian Solar has provided to our technical teams since we began our partnership,” said Adrian Hill, group head of procurement at Bellway.

“Clearline fusion has made adoption of solar PV straightforward for both our technical and construction teams. Its high wind resistance, achieved without modification to the roof structure, gives us confidence to install across the UK while the proprietary fixing kits will help us ensure durable, safe and compliant installations every time.”