Leading LPG supplier Calor is encouraging LPG installers to take advantage of the solar thermal water heating training available, which can help them to expand their business prospects in rural areas. Increasing homeowner demand for renewable energy solutions is driving sales of solar thermal systems in particular, and installers should be prepared to take advantage of this growing area of the heating market, which is compatible with LPG.
Unstable fuel prices and increased media coverage about climate change are heightening public awareness of the need to ‘think green’ and reduce energy consumption of fossil fuels. To do this, many homeowners are now looking for renewable solutions, of which solar thermal is the most widely available. For installers, the renewables market represents a key focus for the future and one which could earn significant revenues.
Environmentally friendly and energy efficient, solar cylinders can provide almost all of a home’s domestic hot water during the summer and up to 50 per cent year round*. Supplementary water heating is provided via conventional fuels, i.e. mains gas, LPG, oil or electricity, through a boiler or immersion heater.
Calor has been working with leading heating manufacturers to develop and promote the use of solar thermal water heating systems. Worcester, Bosch Group, Vaillant and Viessmann have developed solar packages which can be used with LPG boilers – the packages comprise evacuated tube solar collectors with a choice of solar water heating cylinders.
Training on solar thermal technology systems is currently available from a number of leading heating manufacturers and Calor is advising installers to achieve the relevant Logic or BPEC qualification to expand their offering to rural homeowners. Worcester, for example, has always placed emphasis on training and now, with the growth of its Greenskies solar packages, the company has developed courses to fully prepare installers to fit this renewable technology.
Worcester’s Greenskies solar training courses are all accredited by Logic certification and are recognised by the BRE. Installers who take the course are now eligible for membership to the Low Carbon Buildings Scheme, which can provide access to funding for a solar installation.
Laura Luty, bulk market manager at Calor, said: “The renewables market is rapidly expanding and we would like to see more installers taking advantage of the training offered by manufacturers to ensure that they are not missing out on extending their services. When servicing or installing a boiler, for example, installers can use the opportunity to advise the homeowner on renewable solutions, the costs involved and whether it would be suitable for the property. Installers can also promote the benefits of solar thermal in terms of reducing carbon emissions and lowering fuel costs.
“It is by no means the end of the domestic boiler and the traditional services provided by heating installers, but to be trained to install and service a solar system would be another string to the bow of the rural installer, and one which could potentially increase their customer base.”
Though in recent years oil has been regarded as the main fuel source in non-mains-gas areas, the benefits of LPG are becoming more widely understood, and the market is really taking off. Offering automatic fuel top-ups, underground storage, convenience and versatility, a wide choice of high efficiency boilers, fires and cookers, a real and controllable flame, a favourable SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating for environmental impact** and hassle free tank maintenance and insurance, Calor LPG is becoming the ideal choice for many domestic dwellings in non-mains-gas areas.
For further information, installers can call 0800 626 626 or visit calor.co.uk.
*Solar Trade Association figures
** Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2005
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Issued on behalf of Calor by Bright, 10 St Catherine’s Court, Herbert Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3QE For further information please contact Annette Massam or Ruth Barrows at Bright on Tel: +44 (0) 121 711 5000 Fax: +44 (0) 121 711 5001 or Email: annette@bright-consultancy.co.uk.
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