At our inaugural Solar Showcase last month, UKWA brought together four separate industry associations to share views and pool knowledge around adopting solar power. Jonathan Bates of Solar Energy UK, Sally Gilson of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and James Talman of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) joined us, along with Andrew Conway of researchers LCP Delta and Simon Emms from UKWA member company Howard Tenens, for a lively panel discussion and an update on the solar journey.
UKWA Logistics Service Provider of the Year 2023, Howard Tenens were our hosts for the day, so they set the scene. An early adopter, the company is ahead of the renewable energy curve, having installed solar PV across seven of its sites, saving 200 tonnes of CO2 a year and heading towards being net exporters of electricity.
We learned from Jonathan that rooftop solar would be expected to contribute a third of the government’s 2035 target to increase solar capacity by nearly fivefold to 70GW; and that while domestic solar is booming, new housing will contribute just 4GW, compared to 15GW from the commercial/industrial sector. Warehouse rooftops offer the government an ‘open goal’ according to Andrew, especially as installing solar PV on warehouses is significantly cheaper than domestic installations. Moreover, he pointed out, 15GW of power is coincidentally what is already generated from solar panels in the UK and also equivalent to what warehouses currently consume annually. By doubling output, warehouses would essentially cover the cost of their own power requirements.
Sally sounded a warning that warehouses needed to be ready for the coming ‘tidal wave’ of demand from the transportation sector, which she said would become a ‘very hungry’ consumer of electricity, as larger vehicles moved to electric power and would need to charge their batteries en route, basically while unloading and reloading at distribution centres.
From the roofing contractor point of view, James strongly advised warehouse operators looking to install solar panels to check their warranty, together with the suitability and condition of their roof, before proceeding, as such an installation potentially represents a change of use.
Maintenance was a key theme too, with several speakers emphasising that if a rooftop solar system is not properly maintained, at best it won’t work efficiently and at worst it could potentially become a fire hazard. As a later speaker – Joe Barnard of Clegg Gifford Insurance – confirmed, failing to maintain your rooftop solar system could invalidate your warehouse insurance cover. Talk to your broker and make sure your policy is fit for purpose, was Joe’s advice.
This is new territory, not only for those installing rooftop solar power, but also for those insuring warehouse buildings or drawing up tenancy agreements. Accordingly, another focus for the event was the launch of UKWA’s new legal guidance, written by our legal partner Weightmans and exclusive to UKWA members.
By bringing together experts from across the spectrum – from installation and finance, to insurance and legal cover – and working together collaboratively as associations, we can collectively help navigate the opportunities and obstacles that come with embracing solar power, not only to the benefit of our respective members, but to the whole of the UK.
Clare Bottle
UKWA, CEO
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