What are the advantages of running a renewable energy installation business?
In this articleWhether it’s a private set of solar panels on your neighbour's roof, or a nifty ground-source heat pump at the bottom of the garden, renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more affordable for homeowners.
This in turn, has led to a steady rise of businesses looking to capitalise on this trend by providing their customers with one or more forms of renewable energy service as part of the core service offering – or by starting new businesses dedicated to the installation and maintenance of these systems.
However, investing in a new service or setting up a new type of business can be risky, and it’s not necessarily a simple process. Nevertheless, doing so may be just what your business needs to gain a competitive edge over current competitors and stand out in a crowded market.
So, if you’re still sitting on the fence about getting involved in the sustainability industry, here are the top 10 advantages of offering renewable energy installations to your customers.
What are the main types of renewable energy services you can offer customers?
Although renewable energy installations are still classed as an emerging market, there are already plenty of services you can offer customers, including:
- Solar panel installation
- Air source heat pumps
- Ground source heat pumps
- EV charging systems
- Wind power
- Biomass boilers
- Home insulation services
Each of these can offer customers a unique way to power and insulate their homes, and better yet, they require minimal additional training for experienced tradespeople to learn, making them an affordable alternative to investing in other, more expensive services that might require years of training to master.
What are the main advantages of renewable energy installation?
Here are the top 10 reasons why you should start the transition sooner, rather than later:
1. Renewable energy systems are in high demand
First and foremost, the renewable energy market has experienced rapid expansion in recent years. This means there are an abundance of new job opportunities to help customers make their homes more energy efficient.
By investing in renewable energies now and incorporating their installation into your business model before your competitors, you can establish yourself as the premier business for sustainable energy installation in your local area, increasing revenue and enabling you to expand your team and trade expertise to take on more work much sooner.
2. Renewable energy installation requires less investment
As mentioned, transitioning your business towards installing renewable energy systems requires a smaller level of investment in terms of time and money compared to learning an entirely new trade.
This is because many renewable energy systems utilise the same skill sets as traditional forms of energy installation. For example, installing solar panels is something any trained electrician can learn to do, while plenty of biomass boilers operate on similar principles to the common heating systems handled by standard boiler technicians.
In other words, learning how to install renewable energy systems is more of a horizontal transition, rather than requiring you to fully relearn your core set of trade skills.
3. Renewable energy installation is less expensive
Switching to installing renewable energy systems can also save your business money.
Whether you’re setting up a new solar panel installation business or thinking of providing EV charging point services to customers, there are plenty of government grants out there that can help you save on the costs associated with sourcing and installing such systems.
4. Renewable energy can improve your reputation
It also can’t be overstated just how much making this switch can do for elevating your brand in the eyes of potential customers.
For many customers, when selecting a tradesperson to work with, simply offering renewable energy services can be the deciding factor in whether they choose you or a competitor – even if they’re planning on using your business for a different service entirely.
And better yet, if you’ve decided to make your business fully sustainable and want to put renewable energy use at the forefront of your business model, you’ll be positioning yourself as a responsible and eco-conscious company that values good environmental practices as much as providing high-quality services.
5. Renewable energy can directly save your business money
Investing in the skills and knowledge required to install renewable energy systems can save your business money if you decide to switch to using renewable energy in the future.
If you know how to install solar panels or a heat pump properly, you won’t need to pay another tradesperson to do it for you, and you’ll have an independent source of energy that you can run parts of your business on, which could potentially reduce the costs of your overheads.
6. Renewable energy can future-proof your business
Investing in installing renewable energy systems can help future-proof your business down the line. After all, the sooner you can start providing customers with renewable energy services, the sooner you can establish yourself in this service space.
By getting involved in the renewable energy sector now, you’ll be facing less competition for your services than you might otherwise face in the future, giving you more time to establish yourself as the go-to brand for customers in your local area.
7. Renewable energy systems can help with contingency planning
Besides providing homeowners with a more affordable way to manage their energy bills, renewable energy installation also opens a whole new avenue of business – that of assisting companies with their disaster and contingency planning processes.
Indeed, while not necessarily common in the UK, when they do occur, power outages seriously hamper business operations. However, with a renewable energy system that has its own reserve of battery power, businesses can remain operational for longer after a power cut or continue to operate until power is restored.
For many businesses, this reason alone can make solar panels worth the investment, and such contracts can be a consistent source of income for tradespeople looking to broaden their market appeal.
8. Renewable energy is about more than just energy systems
Businesses operating in the home insulation space shouldn’t overlook the potential benefits that this renewable energy shift could have for their business.
Whether you specialise in door installation, window fitting, or cavity wall work, a renewable energy system like a heat pump will only save a customer so much money on their heating bills if they lack insulation. So, by flagging your fitting business as complementing renewable energy systems, you can further grow your customer base.
9. Renewable energy installation can help you meet your sustainability targets
Although it may not be directly related to your primary financial business objectives, installing renewable energy systems can significantly contribute to helping you achieve your goals for operating your business sustainably.
And even if you’re not able to run your business itself at net-zero, simply by opting to install renewable energy systems in customers’ homes, you’ll be helping to offset the UK’s carbon emissions with every job you take on.
Tap into new markets as a Trusted Trader
Whether you’re already working in the renewables sphere or you’re only just getting your business involved in the process, a switch to installing renewable energy systems can be a fantastic way to give your business a fresh, unique selling point that’s sure to bring in new business opportunities.
Get in touch today to find out more about how our vetting process works, and don’t forget to visit our trade guide hub as well for more pieces like this one, such as the benefits associated with joining a partnership organisation and how to run a sustainably-minded construction company.
