Stopcocks

The North West is not sunny enough to heat our water and provide us with electricity.

We are at risk of sunburn even when the sun is not out.

These two statements are contradictory and yet related. If only people realised that solar power is not related to sunny days. If we have daytime, it follows that we have solar power.

Domestic fuel prices are set to crash through the £1,000/year barrier this year so it makes sense to think about how we in the industry can provide answers for our customers.

Is it up to us to educate them? We all have the ability to educate every time we enter a house. Many of us will have been in the energy-saving game since it became compulsory to install condensing boilers. Renewables are the next step.

An installation costing between £2,000 and £3,000 would provide between 30% and 70% of hot water and pay back within eight years. That has got to be worth shouting about.

Smart installers are gaining the qualifications needed to become registered solar thermal installers and Genuine Power Solutions has been installing solar thermal and PV systems in Gibraltar's commercial district since 2008. Stopcocks Solar is a subsidiary of Genuine Power Solutions Global and provides solar hot water for the domestic market in the North West. A dedicated, trained team of female installers survey, design, install and maintain solar water systems using the highest specification panels, cylinders and controllers.

The reputation of the North West as too cloudy to use solar is simply not true. We get an average two to four hours of usable sun in the North West per year. That means some days we get up to five. Couple that with excellent collectability from modern panels, excellent storage cylinders and precise controllers and the solution is clear.

We've come a long way from black radiators on hippy roofs. If your customers aren't interested in saving the planet, they will certainly be interested in saving money.

Many people have resisted, thinking that the installation costs would be prohibitive.

With green as the 'new black' in construction, attitudes are changing. Consumers are realising that it makes sense to go green, but have been hesitant in this current economic climate. But we can help here. Grants of up to £400 can be claimed towards the cost of installation.

Training costs are high for installers, that's true and the double-edged sword of paying up to £1500 for the training and the potential loss of earnings for the three days makes it a difficult choice for installers but I for one believe it is an investment for the future well worth making.

Hattie Hasan, Stopcocks