The Zenex exhibition stand is always a vibrant feature of Solar Energy UK, but this year we attended with trepidation given the uncertainty created by DECC announcing their consultation around potential FiT cuts.
I guess by the time this article is published we will know the results, and if the government has listened to industry lobbying. Whatever the news, it’s irrelevant to the 1,000-or-so former employees of Mark Group who were made redundant in mid-October because of the ensuing loss of confidence in the UK market. No wonder the energy secretary chose not to accept her invitation to attend SEUK or to give airtime to the solar installer who was in the audience during her stint on Question Time.
As the world shook its head at the way the UK government is trouncing our renewables market, I realised I needn’t have been nervous about exhibiting at SEUK. The expo was buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit and even a few new market entrants. Battery storage was high on the agenda and business leaders were planning their route in to 2016, through an expected quiet first-part of the year and then onwards in to a more stable, if much smaller PV market. Diversification seems to be the name of the game.
Our parent company Segen have agreed several relationships for diverse UK supply next year. We are working with key PV and battery storage manufacturers, including Tesla StorEdge Powerwall, to form a core part of our continuing UK business and expansion in to other worldwide markets.