Getting work in this area

[AllyBongo]

Hi All

Booked in to do courses on heat pumps and solar thermal in two weeks, just now our main work is gas heating and plumbing in domestic private properties. We are going to get a website up and running soon for central heating and renewable energy.
Just wondering how much of a demand there is for renewable installs, we are based in ayrshire and will work within about a 60 mile radius. We're a two man team. Anyone fitting a lot of renewable products?? Also been looking at the whole MCS thing, maybe i'm wrong but it just seems a bit much and a bit of a rip off!

Any info appreciated guys

Ally

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you're not the first to think that of mcs

 

[CES]

Im up in the Lothians and I haven't even had a sniff of anything to do with Heat pumps. I reckon Ive wasted a couple of grand getting trained up and im halfway doing my MCS. Im going to venture into Solar PV with a sparky mate. I know a couple of guys doing Solar thermal who get the odd job but nothing like the manufacturers and training centres are saying!. All hype so far.

 

[AllyBongo]

Yeah, don't really have too strong a feeling for it. Was thinking if we can't get much work, sub contracting to someone might be an option. I see a lot of solar pv panels around Ayr. Just seems like a very expensive install for customers, especially in a recession!! Had to laugh when i looked up baxi's biomass boiler....... Almost £6000!!! Surely renewables need to come down in price a bit.

How long have you been trained in it? Do you advertise for renewable work?

 

[dontknowitall]

Solar thermal in .... Scotland?

:1eye:

This MCS is expensive for a 1-2 man band. There's a long thread on the forum about it.

Seems a good dilemma: Can't fit renewables with customer benefitting from feed in tarrifs and cant guarantee getting jobs to pay off the MCS registration fees.

 

[AllyBongo]

Other thing is.... Is there even a demand for it???

Every merchant in my area i've spoke to doesn't even sell any of it!!

 

[franz]

dear customer"Solar hot water for you SIR" . answer;how much will it cost. answer about 4kto set up.
Customer; How much will i save in a year? answer ; Loud cough!About £70
Customer.er no thanks!

 

[CES]

Ive only been trained in Heat Pumps for a few months and Ive yet to see any interest, but then again I don't specifically advertise for them. The guys I know doing the solar thermal get a lot of their stuff off the internet as the merchants around here are too expensive for renewable stuff.
Ive had a few enquiries about Solar PV and that's without advertising, which is a bit strange..

 

[AllyBongo]

Now reconsidering going on the courses!

Is anyone on here doing well and getting work in this line of business!!??

 

[CES]

I don't think it would do any harm in doing the training in the long term as it will take off eventually.
I wouldn't count on it for extra business straight away though.

 

[unguided1]

I would say that it is definately worth doing the trainning with out a doubt, but getting MCS accredited I would wait until you see some real demand. There is a campaign to do something about the MCS for the one man band and small companies but it is an uphill battle.

 

[thomas donovan]

i spoke to another trade who was doing the solar on one of my jobs (mcs acredited) who sad in total he had spent close to 10 big ones getting there( alongside mountains of paperwork, ongoing) i'll stick to fitting ****ters and fixing old boilers.had i wanted to write an essay for a job i would have become a building inspector or j k rowling

 

[AllyBongo]

Think I'll still do the courses, as you guys say it won't do any harm doing it.
Going to South Lanarkshire college to do them, £500 for unvented, solar thermal and heat pumps. Its a Bpec course.

Is that a decent price? Anyone been to this college?

 

[Mr leaky]

£500 for unvented, solar thermal and heat pumps. Its a Bpec course.

Is that a decent price? Anyone been to this college?[/QUOTE]

ripoff i did my unvented this month for less than half that £500 is very expensive in my view have you tried elsewhere

 

[markfxy]

I think he meant £500 for all of them unvented is usually 1 day £180 inc vat

 

[eaton]

Yeah that's a lot less than I paid. Totalling up all mine g3, solar, heat pumps ( all done separately so might affect price) £1250