Friday 18th May 2012 - CITB Accreditation with 20% OFF

PLOUGHCROFT CELEBRATES CITB ACCREDITATION WITH 20% OFF EVENT

Ploughcroft, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy installers and training providers, is celebrating its achievement of Cskills Awards accreditation from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) with a special event for installers on Friday 18th May.

This is the first time that a two day solar PV installation course has achieved this prestigious industry recognition, which will further enhance the course’s appeal to roofers and other construction industry professionals.

All delegates who attend the installer event will automatically receive 20% off Ploughcroft’s accredited Solar Roofing course.*

Activities on the day will include presentations on the opportunities within the renewables sector, an overview of training courses offered by Ploughcoft and a solar panel installation demonstration. A representative from Cskills Awards will be present on the day to hand over the official accreditation certificate for the two day solar PV installation course to the Ploughcroft training team.

Chris Hopkins, Managing Director of Ploughcroft, explains: “We train dozens of roofers and other construction industry professionals in our training centre every week and it is very rewarding to receive this accreditation as it further enhances the credibility and quality of our courses. He added: “Our event on 18th May will provide installers with an opportunity to find out how Ploughcroft’s full range of accredited training courses can help them grow their business.”

Ploughcroft’s Solar PV course for roofers was subject to rigorous scrutiny by a panel from Cskills Awards, who analysed the course content, as well as visiting the training centre in West Yorkshire to meet the team delivering the training. The two day Cskills Awards accredited course will now be delivered by Ploughcroft’s team nationally at five venues across the country – Brighouse, Stoke, Ipswich, Bognor and Nottingham.

Joe Johnson from the Product Development team at Cskills Awards, said: “Cskills Awards is excited to be working in partnership with Ploughcroft Training to accredit their courses and we wish them well with the installer event on 18th May.”

The Construction Industry Training Board aims to drive up standards of skills and training in the construction sector. The board is backed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

For more details about the Ploughcroft installer event, or to book a place, visit the website www.ploughcroft.co.uk.

* Voucher is valid for one person for six months from 18th May 2012 and must be brought to booked training event to redeem.

6th April 2012 - What's new in training

Changes in Logic Accreditation

Logic is falling in line with City & Guilds 2399, therefore practical assessments will be required to complete the course.

The Solar PV for Electricians course will change from 3 days to 4 days at the end of April 2012.

6th August 2011 - Article featured in the Brighouse Echo (Web)

Chris tames a den of dragons

A BRIGHOUSE businessman has walked away from TV's Dragons Den with an investment of £120,000. Chris Hopkins, managing director of Ploughcroft survived a battle of wits against the Dragons on Sunday night.

During the gruelling pitch for the BBC2 programme, Chris was asked on all aspects of his business model and what he wanted to put the Dragons hard earned cash towards.

Chris proved to be one of the most successful candidates to date with four Dragons wanting to be involved in his business.

But he selected Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis - who together take a 25 per cent stake in Ploughcroft in exchange for their funding. “Apart from their excellent reputation in the world of business, Deborah and Theo are trusted household names. This was very important to me, as I want Ploughcroft to become the household name of choice for solar and renewable energy installations.”

Ploughcroft is having its most successful year, with year-to-year sales for 2011 already up 100 per cent, and bookings for training courses increasing.

In the next few months he intends to open two more renewable energy training. Chris is excited at the prospect of working with Deborah and Theo to drive his business forward and expand across the UK.

“It is fantastic to have had the opportunity to meet such successful entrepreneurs,” he said.

4th August 2011 - Articled featured in the Yorkshire Post

Dragons' Den pair provide boost for solar firm that hopes to double sales

YORKSHIRE solar company Ploughcroft is on course to double sales this year after demand for its technology and training courses soared.

The firm, which sold a 25 per cent to Dragons’ Den stars Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis in an episode shown on Sunday, added 10 staff this year, taking it to 37.

Turnover is expected to reach £5m for the 12 months to September, up from £2.6m for the same period last year. Chris Hopkins, the managing director, said: “Apart from their excellent reputation in the world of business, Deborah and Theo are trusted household names. This was very important to me, as I want Ploughcroft to grow to become the household name of choice for solar and renewable energy installations.” Ploughcroft was set up in 1997 by Mr Hopkins and his father, Bill, as a traditional domestic building and roofing business.

When the older man retired six years ago, his son bought him out and opened an eco-roof centre in Brighouse, where schools, colleges and environmentalists could see demonstrations of solar panels. The firm’s NVQ is used in 11 construction colleges in the UK and has been accredited by City and Guilds, the awarding body.

Under the feed-in tariff, which came in on April 1 and is known as clean energy cashback, the owners of properties can receive up to £1,000 a year for small-scale, environmentally-friendly power generation. If they understand the technology and can successfully harness the electrical power that the panels produce, then the return on the investment could be as much as 10 per cent, said Mr Hopkins – far greater than the low rates of interest on offer from high street banks.

Generating green power domestically has soared up the political agenda since David Cameron, then leader of the Opposition, had a wind turbine installed on the roof of his London home. The cultural shift which began under Labour has continued since the coalition Government was formed and Mr Hopkins said this had been reflected in their sales.

Mr Hopkins left Dragons Den with a £120,000 investment in return for a 25 per cent stake in Ploughcroft.

18th November 2010 - Article by Peter Edwards featured in the Yorkshire Post

Solar company offers powerful argument for green monitoring system

A YORKSHIRE solar roofing firm has launched a green energy-monitoring system to spot power supply problems before the lights go out. Ploughcroft Solar joined forces with German company Solar-Log, which monitors photo-voltaic (PV) panels 24 hours a day, to devise the system. It means that if a cable is ruptured, the system gets damaged or panels are stolen, the owner of the equipment will be informed immediately and Ploughcroft will repair it.The Brighouse firm installs photo-voltaic systems and works with Vaillant, Plumb Center, which is part of building supplies giant Wolseley, and nPower. Photo-voltaic systems cost in the region of £15,000 and homeowners expect a £1,600 return on their investment from the feed-in-tariff.Under the tariff, which came in on April 1 and is known as clean energy cashback, the owners of properties can receive up to £1,000 a year for small-scale, environmentally-friendly power generation.Chris Hopkins, managing director of Ploughcroft Solar said: "The UK is the world's fastest growing market for solar PV technology. With so many Brits having invested in solar installations and expecting to benefit from the feed-in-tariff, it is vital that their investment is protected."The Solar-Log tracking device can be installed on any existing solar PV system and it can also be included as part of a new solar PV installation. All you need is for the tracking device to be installed and broadband in order to monitor your investment."The service also provides users with a daily yield and error report on email, so they can see if there has been a drop in production. Parent company Ploughcroft Building Services has an ambitious target of increasing its £2m turnover fivefold within two years.Ploughcroft was set up in 1997 by Mr Hopkins and his father, Bill, as a traditional domestic building and roofing business. When the older man retired. six years ago, his son bought him out and opened an eco-roof centre in Brighouse, where schools, colleges and environmentalists could see demonstrations of solar panels.

6th February 2010 - Article by Miles Brignall featured in the Guardian:

... you'd snap it up in a second

If the government offered to pay you £1000 a year for the next 25 years, in return for an upfront payment of around £12,500, you'd snap it up in a second. Well, that's pretty much the deal on offer after the government finally revealed what it will pay to those who install electricity generating solar panels through the new 'Feed-in-Tariffs' (FITs). After years of campaigning by environmental groups, the government has finally agreed to reward householders and businesses installing electricity-generating measures with a 7-10% tax free return. Future payments are guaranteed for the next 25 years and have been unexpectedly linked to inflation - generating enough of a return to make it a serious financial, as well as environmental, investment!

On 1st February 2010 - The Government confirmed the feed in tariffs which will come into force on 1st April 2010.
For someone fitting a typical 2.5kW photovoltaic solar system to an existing home (at a cost of around £12,500), a payment of 41.3p per KWh generated will be paid whether that electricity is exported or used by the home owner. A further payment of 3p per kWh will be made for each unit not used and therefore exported to the grid. New-build properties fitted with solar panels will receive a lower tariff of 36.1p per kWh generated.

These tariff payments are guaranteed for 25 years and they are also index linked - i.e. they will rise in line with inflation. The typical 2.5kW system will generate tax-free payments of around £1000 per year, and so the payback on the investment will be around 12 years. This also works out as a tax-free return on investement of 8% - far better than any bank account offers, and particularly attractive to those paying tax at the higher rate. Since the electricity generated can be used by the homeowners, they are also rewarded with a £150 reduction in their electricity bill with a 2.5kW system.

Therefore, if you are lucky enough to have £10-12,500 in the bank AND have a south (or nearly south) facing roof, you'll struggle to find a better financial investment than installing a PV solar array on your home.

Other highlights included 17.8 to 19.9p per kWh for 20 years for hydro, 26.7 to 34.5p per kWh for 20 years for small wind turbine generators, and confirmation that existing microgenerators being transferred from the RO programme will receive 9p per kWh generated until 2027.

Click here to view the Feed in Tariff published on 1st February 2010 which includes tariff levels for all different renewable technologies.