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Prolectric Services Ltd of Lympsham, Somerset has secured a
£1.2m slice of a £10m contract installing solar PV systems.
The huge project from Alliance Homes (formerly North
Somerset Housing) is rolling out across North Somerset and
Prolectric are setting the standard in safe swift
installations to ensure the strict schedule is maintained.
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family-run business has 18 years of experience in
intelligent electrical systems and expanded into the
renewable energy sector in February of this year. |
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Their proven skill-set is in
high demand, and their logistical efficiency enabled them to
secure the contract with Alliance Homes. |
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There are many challenges facing
PV installation teams none more so than the need to access,
install and leave site on a strict schedule whilst ensuring
that health and safety is maintained. Prolectric have been
able to overcome this with the use of the specialised
Solar-Dec Access System from Easi-Dec. Since becoming MCS
accredited in February this year the company has purchased
equipment for both of their fitting teams and have
established a close relationship with the access
specialists. |
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Prolectric’s Paul Beecham
(Managing Director) says; “We already used towers and had
good scaffolding contacts for other work, but neither of
those are as flexible or convenient for fitting PV. With the
Solar-Dec we’re in charge of our own destiny – we just turn
up with it in our standard vans, get set up in about half an
hour and we’re good to go. The problem with scaffolding is
that it generally sticks an extra day or two onto a job and
greatly effects profitability. You can come and go as you
please and it keeps the end user happy. For example, I had
an email at 6pm last night cancelling one of today’s
installations but I was immediately able to reassign my team
to another install - I couldn’t have got scaffolding in that
quickly. I’ve just saved us a wasted day. We just love the
system.” |
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The Solar-Dec telescopic
platform can be used independently or with further platforms
and Cat-Walks to provide a limitless modular working
platform with edge protection. For smaller jobs Prolectric
use a 2 metre dec on its own with the addition of clever
Winged Gates which provide an extra 1.8 metres of edge
protection. Paul goes on to say “The winged gates are really
really good because on the smaller jobs it takes us only ten
minutes to get up to height”. |
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“We’ve formed a great
relationship with our Easi-Dec contact Mike Slasor. We’re
pretty clued up as to how to tackle tricky access jobs now,
but if ever there’s something we’re unsure about we can just
give him a call. Obstructions like porches or dormers are
not a problem – the system will even span a conservatory.” |
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Paul believes that they have
been able to use the Solar-Dec Access System on 99% of the
installs they’ve done this year. The system copes with
sloping ground, most narrow access scenarios, and can be
lifted and shifted to cope with multiple installs. The
system is available on an interest-free hire-to-buy scheme,
and there is a discount structure to suit businesses as they
grow in this developing market. |
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So the future’s very bright for
Prolectric as they look to recruit more fitters as their
schedule ramps up into the New Year, and with the inevitable
increase in the renewables market in general. Paul’s
confident that they can hold the pace, and looks forward to
a continuing relationship with Easi-Dec Access Systems. |
