Rachel Preen, Managing Director at Prolectric, talks solar lighting, the move towards greener construction sites and why the switch to solar could future-proof you and your customers.
There’s no doubt about it; we’re witnessing an exciting time of incredible uplift and entrepreneurial spirit across the renewables sector as the demand for solar energy continues to soar.
Solar technology is clean, quiet and sustainable – with significant carbon emission savings and reduced environmental impacts. And, with energy prices rocketing and the cost of living continuing to present many difficulties for households and businesses across the UK, solar is increasingly seen as a safeguard and an effective way to future-proof.
Green construction sites
In the UK and Europe, many major projects are being positioned as green construction sites, which means they must comply with low emissions, pollution and noise whilst also realising significant operational cost reductions. This has affected all aspects of construction, but the response has been nothing short of illuminating when it comes to lighting.
Prolectric’s solar technology, for example, provides a practical way for businesses to achieve their carbon-reduction commitments, enabling them to move away from polluting fossil-fuelled or mains powered systems.
Our solar lights, hybrid generators and CCTV provide high-performance temporary and permanent site lighting, power and security – with minimal environmental impact and low running costs. In particular, our lighting systems produce zero carbon, no noise, need little maintenance and require zero fuel.
Lighting the way
When it comes to solar lighting, we’re proud of our heritage. Prolectric was the first to introduce all-in-one solar street lighting to the UK in 2011, and our technology has been specifically designed and developed for UK weather conditions. To date, we’ve successfully installed over 8,000 units across the UK, providing high-quality, reliable, low-voltage LED lighting.
Prolectric’s specially developed smart light controller and Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors work to provide maximum lux level lighting when motion is detected but dim for safe ambient lighting that lasts from dusk until dawn. Our solar streetlights and bollards are simple, quick and economical to install. With no need to dig trenches or install trunking for cables, installation costs are minimal compared to conventional mains power alternatives. They’re also low maintenance, with no need for PAT testing and a long operating life.
Backed by a specialist lighting design service, our engineers work to the latest lighting regulations and British standards, including BS 5489, and provide detailed site lighting plans to meet lux and aesthetic lighting layout requirements. This ensures our proven technology is expertly specified to meet, and often exceed, the demanding requirements of green construction sites and increasingly complex environments.
Solar skills shortage
With solar demand reaching a fever pitch over the past year, solar firms have reported a scarcity of skilled workers to deal with the boom effectively. Even global brands such as Tesla have hit the headlines in the urgent quest for skilled solar technicians to step into the breach. If the UK is to fulfil its ambition to produce net-zero emissions by 2050, the solar skills shortage is another piece of the jigsaw that needs swift and ongoing action.
Huge opportunity abounds for traditional electricians to transition seamlessly into the solar industry, bridging the critical gaps whilst providing electrical contracting businesses prime diversification options to increase their overall profitability.
Tax deduction for UK businesses
Companies that use solar temporary lighting or solar hybrid power could look to take advantage of the government’s recent tax deduction scheme.
In a bid to boost investment and drive productivity growth, the 2023 Spring Budget announced that companies could claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery through the introduction of full expensing and the continuation of the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA). It gives companies a 100% first-year relief on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments made between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2026.
This means businesses that make use of the full expensing policy can reduce their corporation tax by up to 25p for every £1 they invest. The UK government wants to stimulate investment to help improve productivity and increase economic output, so by introducing this policy, the hope is to encourage businesses to bring planned investment forward and make additional investments. What sets it apart from other capital allowance schemes is its 100% first-year relief and its uncapped nature.
We see this as a huge benefit for renewables, with solar lighting and equipment becoming more affordable over the next three years. At the sharp end, we can also predict an even greater boost to our UK electrical contractor businesses as a direct result.
Get more details about Prolectric’s range of solar lighting here
