Press releases

Ploughcroft named best in Britain by Microgeneration Certification Scheme

A ROOFING company has been named as the best in Britain for its work fitting photovoltaic solar panels – and helping energy-conscious homeowners and businesses make the most of a Government “reward” scheme.
Ploughcroft took the industry lead two years ago in developing a national training course for solar panel installation in a link-up with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors.
Now its foresight in setting the highest possible standards for fitting clean energy solutions has won it a host of industry accolades and unrivalled consumer confidence.

The company has won the award for Best Business Initiative for Microgeneration Technologies in the Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Awards 2010 – and has become the first UK roofing company to be accredited for installing and commissioning PV solar panels under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme

Ploughcroft is leading light on solar panel incentives scheme...

A Yorkshire company has officially become the best qualified roofing firm in the country to fit photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and help energy conscious homeowners and businesses make the most of the government’s new Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) reward scheme. Two years ago Brighouse-based Ploughcroft took the industry lead in developing a national training course for solar panel installation in collaboration with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

Now its foresight in setting the highest possible standards for fitting clean energy solutions, is winning a host of industry accolades and unrivalled consumer confidence. Last week the company not only took the award for Best Business Initiative for Microgeneration Technologies in the Yorkshire and Humber Microgeneration Awards 2010, it also became the first UK roofing company to win accreditation for installing and commissioning PV solar panels under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). All of which means that Ploughcroft is the singularly most qualified roofing firm in the country to provide and fit MSC approved products for customers who want to take advantage of the FITs incentive scheme just announced by energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband.

Ploughcroft managing director Chris Hopkins explained how it works. “The FITs deal essentially means that homeowners and businesses who install PV solar panels on a sunny south-facing roof, will be paid by the government for the electricity they generate for the next 25 years, even if they use all of it themselves. “So someone fitting, for example, a typical £12,500, 2.5kW PV system to their home will initially be paid up to 41.3p per kilowatt hour (kWh) generated, which is enough to reward them with up to £900 in the first year, on top of a £140-a-year saving on their bills. “Importantly, the payments are tax free, guaranteed for the next 25 years and have been linked to inflation. It’s a real incentive for people to reduce their own electricity consumption and ultimately to export excess electricity generated back to the national grid. “We are expecting to be very busy fitting PV solar systems – especially as energy regulator¬ Ofgem has just warned that electricity prices will go up by a fifth by 2020 and that future supplies are in jeopardy.”

The training course developed by Ploughcroft with the NFRC includes training roofers on the installation and integration of several different makes of solar panels into different roof coverings including slate, concrete and plain tiles. It was adopted by Leading Sector Skills Council ConstructionSkills in 2009 and mapped on to the Roofing NVQ units (VR298).

Chris, who is passionate about sharing best practice and raising industry standards, has been delivering the course in a rolling programme across the UK, including Northern Ireland and the South of England.