Energy Saving Solar has carried out a UK-wide survey in order to understand how businesses across the country regard solar power, what the various barriers to greater uptake are and the misconceptions surrounding commercial solar power. A total of 201 British businesses took part in the survey which was conducted online through January 2015.
Many types of businesses answered the survey, from small businesses to golf courses to farmers. The majority of respondents were operating in manufacturing, warehousing, retail and the public sector.
The survey found that 75 percent of businesses taking part underestimate how much can be saved by installing solar panels. Over half of them did not know another business in their locality which had installed solar panel. When it comes to installation, many businesses would prefer to buy a system outright while challenges to installation include cost, not owning the roof upon which a system would be installed, a lack of accurate and unbiased information and the steady reduction in the government’s Feed-in Tariff over the last few years.
Other barriers mentioned included lack of government support, regulations for listed buildings and general planning restraints, the cost of having to pay for a system immediately for a longer term return and media campaigns casting doubt on the ability of the UK to make a difference with regard to climate change.
Encouragingly, 76 percent of businesses responding to the survey said that they would consider installing solar panels.
Of those who said they would not consider solar power, over a quarter of respondents believe that there isn’t enough solar radiation in the UK to justify installation, while 63 percent said it was too expensive. Several respondents were unaware that part-funded and fully-funded options are available to help businesses installing solar power.
“This survey serves to highlight the growing pains of a nascent industry and identified a range of issues surrounding commercial solar” said Michael Kaeflein, Marketing Manager of Energy Saving Solar. “It was enlightening and we hope it can serve to educate both the public and solar panel companies.”
According to Energy Saving Solar a business installing solar panels can save around 33 percent on their electricity bills, however most respondents seem to believe that savings would only reach 20 percent at best. This is a belief that the company says needs to be challenged.
Interestingly, 35 percent of the businesses surveyed did not know about the Feed-in Tariff, again demonstrating the lack of information among businesses regarding commercial solar.
Overall, Energy Saving Solar found that although the government is keen to shift focus from ground-mounted solar to commercial roof top solar, there is still a lot of misconception among businesses when it comes to savings, qualifying criteria and the Feed-in Tariff.
Energy Saving Solar was established in 2011. The company owns, develops, monitors and manages solar PV systems across the UK and enables businesses to benefit from long-term savings through generating green electricity, with no capital outlay. It provides a complete turn-key service from initial enquiry through to installation, monitoring and ongoing maintenance. The company’s management team has helped businesses to install over 1,000 solar PV systems across the UK and across a range of sectors including agriculture, education, municipal and religious organisations and retail.
The survey was carried out using SurveyMonkey and distributed online through email, social media and the Energy Saving Solar website.
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