That's it, I'm off...

[JulianC]

Can't take the lack of work much more and really do not like what solar pv has become in this country, so I'm out. A couple of loose ends to tie up over the next few weeks then the company will be wound up and I will become a one man band lacky for hire. If anyone in the midlands needs a mate/fetcher/carrier/gopher/butt of jokes/digger of holes or teaboy please bear me in mind. CIS registered, will work for peanuts, especially if no thinking is required.

Thank you all for the input to these forums over the last few years, and for those who have got me out of a couple of holes in the past. I've learned a lot from you chaps and shall probably stick around to keep an eye on what's going on. Good luck to all of you that stick with it. Me, I never was much of a fan of rollercoasters. I'm off to find something that the government doesn't have much of a hand in.....

ta ta

Julian

 

[whinmoor]

Very sad to hear this. All the best for the future...

 

[SRE]

Good luck Julian & thanks for your help too Keep in touch.

 

[SolarCity]

All the best Julian. Sad to hear you're not sticking with PV. Hopefully you'll come back to it if/when things turn around.

 

[Gavin A]

sorry to hear that.

I'm not quite sure what's going on, but we're actually very busy at the moment, although this has only happened in the last few weeks and has taken a lot of work to get to that stage, plus lead generators etc so I'm not entirely sure if we're actually generating profits or not, we at least aren't now losing money. Just to show that there could well be life left in the industry.

 

[solarsavings]

Good luck Julian.
At least you won't be subjected to real, wreck, recc spot checks that are apparently being carried out to see if we're all working to the latest regs and have update their logo on our websites. fooking cooonts the lot of them.

[h=4]Please ensure you are complying with the following points:

• Ensure you are displaying the new RECC logo on your website and stationary and NOT REAL
• Ensure you are using and can demonstrate the use of the latest calculation methods in MIS3002 and MIS3005
• You should have a waiver in line with RECC code of practice where customers wish work to commence before the end of the 7 day cooling off period

With regards to calculating PV performance estimates we would suggest you contact MCS to ask where you can purchase an “approved” sun path tool as we believe none are currently available that have been formally approved and many available on the market absolutely do not meet the requirements, which begs the question somewhat as to how you are supposed to implement a methodology when there is no access to the required equipment.[/h]

 

[dansk]

sad news Julian - hardly surprising with the state of things - i thought you bagged a good council contract?

 

[Megavolt]

Good luck in the future bud

 

[TJLinks]

Skwawk skwawk skwawk, wot you got to sell? said the vultures......

 

[JulianC]

Thanks chaps - much appreciated. The plus point is I'm really looking forward to telling REAL (or whatever they're called) to do one.

i thought you bagged a good council contract?

So did we. Unfortunately after a couple of meetings all went quiet, calls not returned, emails unanswered. It transpired that the guy heading the project on the council had been suspended (reasons not disclosed) and the whole contract cancelled. Just like that, no explanation, leaving us and 5 or 6 other companies who'd been successful on various other bits of the tender none the wiser. Had we not chased them, I don't think they'd have had the decency and sense to tell us. My local councilor is continuing to harass on my behalf but isn't getting much out of the bellends. We've still not had official notification that the contract was cancelled. Bunch of clueless, incompetent f*ckwits.

Hey ho. Summat'll turn up.

 

[dansk]

Sorry to hear that - and i sympathise - i was on the verge of a local community hall with Leeds council once, held their hand all the way through to be gazumped because some dude on the board knew someone who knew someone that had panels done by another firm - total users.

Good luck mate.

 

[Worcester]

Hi Julian, sorry to hear you're packing up. drop me a PM with your contact details.

 

[TedM]

Can't say I blame you, Julian. Good luck for the future.

 

[finchy]

Good luck mate ! Greed and corruption is every where, work your ar5e off on tenders and in the end they go for the usual supplier. Solar was different but those days are gone.

 

[SolarCity]

To be fair, we had a little chat yesterday and we think the time may well coming up for us too.

We lost out to a job in the week on a rosemary tiled roof with a very awkward scaffold. We were beaten by miles - £4,900 AFTER VAT.
On an install on Wednesday, the customer told us she used us because she liked us but that we were £400 more expensive than our competition. You'd think that would have perked me up, but I'm more concerned that we can be undercut to much by firms if we are a small family firm.

We aren't making a profit and we haven't done for a long time. We're a little busier than we were last year but nowhere near enough to keep us going. In fact, it is other business ventures which are keeping us going at the moment - I earn as much supplying labour fitting suspended ceilings and partition walls as I do from installing solar.