Training worth £1400 on offer to Wakefield electricians to seize potential of solar market
Local electricians can access a handful of funded places on the Solar Installer Accelerator to enter the solar market and drive long term business growth.
Green Economy delivers the programme for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is funded by UK Government as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The course doesn’t just provide the technical skills to enter the solar market, but also connects learners with a pipeline of sales opportunities, connections with local partners to grow their business and a steer on the path to certification.
Since launching the programme in 2024, 26 businesses have completed the course, with 15 completing a first installation and nine actively operating in the domestic solar market. Demand for domestic solar remains high with the average install costing around £8500 with a profit margin of around 35 per cent.
Vicky Wilding, Green Tech Lead at Green Economy said:
“This programme has been developed to grow the UK solar market, which will need to increase by five times its present value to achieve the UK Government’s target of 70 GW of solar power by 2035. By working with businesses with transferable skills to address this shortfall in West Yorkshire, the programme delivers on local Climate and Environment Plan, whilst helping local businesses to access a thriving business opportunity.”
The Solar Installer Accelerator was developed by Green Economy and MCS to address the shortfall in qualified solar installers, partnering with organisations including YESSS Electrical, Waxman, IAA, and NAPIT.
Delivered in person over five days, the programme provides four days technical training on solar PV and battery installations and one day business workshops on market opportunities, quality certification and sustainability.
Anthony Sheppard, Lakeside Mechanical & Electrical Services who completed the course in 2024 said: “The Solar Installer Accelerator has been a game changer for our business. It gave us the skills and knowledge to provide high quality installations and excellent customer care for homeowners who want reassurance that their solar project is in good hands.
“What is different about the Solar Installer Accelerator programme is that the support doesn’t stop at the end of the training course. We have regular contact with our consultant who helped us secure our first installation and provides us with new sales, networking and local connections to help us grow in the long term.”
Qualified electricians based in West Yorkshire can secure a limited number of free places by booking on the website.