Eco Environments Power Ahead Dispite Feed-In-Tariff Chaos

Leading renewable energy company Eco Environments continues to power ahead despite the announcement that the Government is set to cut the Feed-in-Tariff subsidies for Solar PV schemes.

The company, which has its head office in Liverpool and regional offices across the UK, took three months’ orders in just two weeks following the news that the cuts would kick-in from December 12.

As of December 12, the tariff for Solar PV schemes up to 4kW will be cut from 43.3/kWh to 21p/kWh.

While Eco Environments is lobbying the Government to reconsider the extent of the tariff cut, the company had been planning for it for some time.

David Hunt, a director with Eco Environments, said: “We knew and accepted that the current subsidy level of 43.3p for smaller domestic and commercial Solar PV installations was coming to an end.
“What shocked us and the industry as a whole was the extent of the cut and the speed with which it is being implemented.

“When the announcement was made at the end of October, we committed to getting as many customers as possible up and running before December 12 which helped us achieve sales greater than last year’s entire turnover in one month. We accepted three months’ orders in two weeks and could have taken on six months’ orders if we hadn’t closed the order books to ensure that we could deliver schemes ahead of the 12th.

“Our order book also remains healthy and growing for installations after the deadline because customers understand that it remains one of the best investments you can make, far better than an ISA, bank or savings account. It is also tax free, index-linked and fixed for 25 years.”

Eco Environments is led by its three directors, Mike Clarke, David Hunt and Mark Buchanan, and employs 46 people compared to 11 at the same time last year. It is on course to increase turnover from £1.4million to £5million during the current financial year and last month moved to 9,000sq ft of office and warehouse space on Wellington Business Park South in Dunes Way, Liverpool.

The company even found time during the past month’s FITs chaos to achieve both ISO9001 quality management and ISO14001 environmental management accreditations.

Eco Environments’ Commercial Director Mark Buchanan said: “It is only because our company has been thoroughly tested in all departments and has strong cultures, processes, people and systems that we are able to respond as quickly and effectively as possible to the needs of our customers.”

Eco Environments designs, installs and commissions renewable energy solutions for the domestic, commercial and construction sectors. It offers a comprehensive range of technologies including Solar Photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines, solar thermal and air source heat pumps. It is one of only a small number of companies to have successfully secured Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditations for all four of its specialist areas.

The company enjoys strong relationships with some of the world’s leading renewable energy manufacturers including Hyundai and Sanyo.

Apart from its new head office in Liverpool, Eco Environments has regional offices in Carlisle, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and North Wales. During the next few months, further offices will open in the south of England. Staff numbers will also rise to approximately 60 during the current financial year.
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