Solar Thermal - worth it?

[SolarCity]

I know this question has popped up regularly but I thought I'd check again.

I'm looking at adding more services to our company as I'm most companies are that wish to still compete in the market. One thing I'm looking at is Solar Thermal. I am looking at getting training as I'm occasionally asked about it.

Those of you doing it, are you getting much work at all?

I'm also looking at air conditioning.

 

[solarsavings]

We do loads of repairs on badly installed smart energy and thermomax df100 systems but very little in the way on installs now. We have done air con for a few years but it's no great shakes just something else to fill our books.

 

[SolarCity]

This is what I'm thinking. Doubt we'll get much work out of anything but a bit of work from different angles may be enough.

 

[Gavin A]

It should be a lot busier next year with RHI coming in.

Beware though that it's a lot more prone to call backs for air locks, depressurisation etc than PV. More work, tighter margins to make the RHI figures stack up, but there is the repair side to help things tick along a bit.

We've just taken on an extra solar thermal trained and experienced installer, with PV experience as well, as prior to that I had to do every solar thermal job we got, and it's just not worth it for me to be out of the office for 2 days per job at the margins we can make on the solar thermal, but I do want to continue offering it.

We intend to hit it quite hard next year, and hope it will help to even out our workload around the solar PV Fit cut periods.

 

[Worcester]

As GavinA says, as we get more and more FIT cuts, solar thermal will start to become more attractive.

The RHI figure still is under review, as at the current rate is still an expensive option compared to PV with an Immersun type device.

With one exception (biomass) every single renewable technology has had LESS installs this year than last..