Solar energy makes up almost 30% of the UK’s renewable energy, and with a predicted annual growth capacity of 17%, the future looks bright for the industry.
Solar Alternative to Scaffolding
At the start of 2020, clean, renewable energy overtook fossil fuels as the main source of Britain’s energy – but this green revolution is only just beginning. Government incentives such as the Smart Export Guarantee are making solar energy more attractive than ever.
With more and more homes and building managers investing in solar energy, people are looking for safe, efficient, and cost-effective ways to install solar panels and equipment on their buildings. To ensure the highest return on investment, panels are usually placed on roofs, where they can absorb the most light. As with any work at height, however, this can be costly and even dangerous if not carried out correctly.
Common solutions include cranes and scaffolding, but these can be expensive, and expose the owner of the building to a host of health and safety risks. So, what is the best solution?
The Easi-Dec Solution
Easi-Dec offers a range of safe, rapid access work platforms which makes the majority of work at height tasks up to the roofline simple and straightforward, including solar installation.
The Solar Access™ platform is specially designed for safe solar installation. Like all our safe access platforms, the solar platform provides a fully protected work area up to the roofline. However, the Solar Access™ platform also features a specially designed hoist for lifting panels safely up to the roof, negating the need for cranes or other systems.
What’s more, our solar installation platform features the same no-tool assembly, minimal parts design as all our platform solutions. It can be assembled within minutes on-site and raised into place, then quickly disassembled when the job is complete, and transported using a transit van or estate car. No more expensive scaffold hire costs for one job.
For larger jobs that would usually require a full scaffold system, you can simply combine two or more Solar Access™ platforms using a Catwalk, to span the entire width of the building.
Solar Panel Maintenance Solution
We don’t stop at installation. As well as the Solar Access™ platform solution, we also offer the Solar Ladder system, which makes ongoing maintenance of roof-fitted solar panels simple and easy. Thanks to its ingenious design, the solar panel maintenance ladder can be rolled up the roof via soft rubber wheels, then flipped into position over the ridge. With 23cm of clearance from the roof to the underside of the stile, you’re free to safely work over the panels themselves with no damage or fuss.