A BRIGHOUSE roofing and building company has become the first in the country to train its workers to install a revolutionary renewable energy product.
Six roofers at Ploughcroft Building Services have so far completed training from UK solar energy company Solarcentury to fit its new solar electric roof slates.
Ploughcroft managing director Chris Hopkins said: “The new solar slates are very relevant for us because there are so many slate roofs in the area where we work.
“In fact, we have already had a number of requests for the product from local authorities and schools.”
Last year, Ploughcroft became the first firm in the country to offer certificated National Federation of Roofing Contractors training in the fitting of solar panels on roof tops.
Solarcentury provided its first private course for Ploughcroft personnel at Ploughcroft’s purpose-built training and development centre in Brighouse.
Following the successful inspection of two installations, Ploughcroft will become an approved roofing contractor of Solarcentury’s C21e systems.
Solarcentury product manager Martin White said: “It’s great that roofers are proactively getting involved in solar.
“Roofers are best placed to provide C21e installations and Chris’s forward thinking approach combined with the Ploughcroft team’s strong knowledge of both our product and of solar power in general, made them really receptive and very easy to train.
“Solar roof tiles and slates are becoming key to diversifying the roofing trade, as demand is rising for intelligent energy and they’re very simple to install.”
The C21e slate converts light into electricity – unlike solar thermal panels, which heat water.
The tiles fix directly to the roof battens, sitting flush with traditional roof slates. This reduces the likelihood of planning issues associated with traditional “bolt-on” solar panels and means trained and approved roofing contractors can finish the work without the involvement of other trades.
As part of the government’s low carbon building programme, householders can apply for grants of up to £2,500 towards the installation of the slates. Grants of 50% are also available for community groups, public and not for profit organisations.
