Do solar panels need cleaning?

[Smurf]

To be honest I was giving it some serious thought. However I don't think you have answered any of my questions properly.

Would also mean for me a serious amount of investment that to be honest I would rather put into my own business if/when required by adding additional well paid services without having to work my socks off so to speak for someone else.

So on reflection if I was interested in making real money at this game I would want to be the organ grinder not the monkey.

I wish you well but it’s not something I want to get involved in now.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

These are my last three questions Steve.

1: You have said all NG postcodes are still available? So if I sign up for the course I will have exclusivity to all NG postcodes?

2: How much are you (on average) paying subs per panel? -- I honestly think this is a valid question as it gives one an idea of earning vs time potential.

3: You claim, as can only be expected, you can not guarantee work, however If I have exclusivity for NG postcodes and there is no work forthcoming do you agree to an audit of invoices to ensure that I am not being 'screwed over' for want of a better phrase?

If you can answer 'Yes' to question 1, the price is right for question 2 and 'Yes' to question 3 then I will post you a cheque this week.

 

[Solar Steve]

@Green

1. Yes.

2. I'm not publishing prices on an open forum, but suffice to say with over 60 subcontractors all over the UK, some of whom have been with us for more than 2 years and who are coming on the course, we are paying correctly. I have one subcontractor from Croydon who is doing a 15 minute part on the day speaking about his experience of subcontracting for us. Croydon as you probably know is a relatively well paying part of the world, but still he is very happy with what we pay and accepts all jobs in his catchment area without hesitation. I have not added up all of the money he has earned from us over the last 12 months, but I guess he's getting very close to £5K. Despite doing so many jobs for us and building the experience that he has, when I emailed about the training course, he was second to pay. He did not want to lose his jobs to anyone else.

I also have another subcontractor from Derby who will be doing a 15 minute part too, coming at things from a different angle to the Croydon guy. This will add confidence to new subcontractors who are there and who are yet to do a job for us. For them to hear from current subcontractors can only be a good thing.

3. You have no chance of carrying out an invoice audit. To even suggest the idea and think we'd agree to that is galling. Think about it from my point of view. What possible benefit is there to offer someone exclusivity of an area and not give them the work? What will I do with those jobs? Not do them? Why would I accept a lead and not pass it on? I am covering the whole of the UK, not looking to have gaping gaps in the areas we cover.

Using a different line of reasoning, what benefit is there for me to have 2 subcontractors in an area and look to play one off against the other? I will get found out very quickly. If we have a job in an NG postcode, you will be the only one getting it. If you choose to say no. That's up to you. You may say no because the money is too low and you think I'm trying to rip you off. I then have to go through the rigmarole of finding and training someone else in your area. Grief I can do without. Business is way too busy to be finding new subcontractors all the time so that I can save myself 10p per panel by looking for someone cheaper all of the time.

My answer to number 3 is not what you wanted to hear I appreciate, but it is the truth. Not everyone is out to make a quick buck and it's quite a damning incitement on society that people have cause to persistently doubt the honesty of someone who vociferously defends themselves like I do.

Do you think I'd come on here and write all of this stuff out JUST to get a measly £200 out of you? There are much easier and quicker ways for me to earn £200.

If you think big and think long term. £200 is an absolute no-brainer.

 

[Solar Steve]

To be honest I was giving it some serious thought. However I don't think you have answered any of my questions properly.
Would also mean for me a serious amount of investment that to be honest I would rather put into my own business if/when required by adding additional well paid services without having to work my socks off so to speak for someone else.

So on reflection if I was interested in making real money at this game I would want to be the organ grinder not the monkey.

I wish you well but it’s not something I want to get involved in now.

That's fine @Smurf . It is as I thought all along, a pride thing. You feel it is below you to work for someone else and have them make a profit. You do it anyway for every company you purchase any product from. Everyone everywhere is making a profit from someone. Some monkeys do exceptionally well from organ grinders you know. To use your phrase, though it's not as I view it, you'd be my 'monkey' as I am the monkey for British Gas, just as they are the monkeys for their organ grinders, the investors. Everyone is a monkey, though I prefer to use the phrase 'partner'.

I don't allow pride or emotion to affect a good business proposition. I accept where I am in the pecking order. If I can make my money, I don't feel the urge to be top of the tree.

Key business phrase: "Give enough people what they want and you can have everything you want."

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

@Green
If you think big and think long term. £200 is an absolute no-brainer.

You asked the question, and yes I do think big, hence £5K for subbing for 12 months does not tempt me in the slightest. £5k of work is not hard to go find without help.

The reason you (in my opinion) that I should be able to check books should work not be forthcoming after a period of time is I don't know you from Adam and you want to take money from me for nothing more than your word that it is worth while.

So why I should allow anyone a slice of my graft is beyond me. Once the government 'regulates' it (which they never will) I will go on a government accredited course as it will instantly invalidate anything you have to offer prior to that happening.

I am going to have to leave the topic of your course alone now as thee more we talk the more I fail to see any value whatsoever than the possibility of saying I got to spend £200 on a cup of tea.

 

[Solar Steve]

Fair do's.

£5k for about 20 days work over a 12 month period with zero hassle regarding finding the work seems pretty good money to me. But I guess everyone is different.

I wouldn't be so quick to presume it won't become regulated. It will be, just the same as installing is.

Enjoy your tea. /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

OK so you force me to comment, it wont cause the odds of you doing yourself serious damage are still much higher on a ladder than cleaning a panel, fact - over 40 ladder related deaths in UK last year, how many from cleaning panels?

They claimed sweeps were going to be regulated, they claimed windies were going to be regulated, none of it has happened and I doubt very much it will in our lifetimes.

You are correct on one point though £5k for 20 days labor is not enough to tempt us. If I wanted to get shafted on piece work I would get a job making lampshades!

 

[Solar Steve]

Averaging £250 a day with no hassle would do many guys nicely. As I say, fair do's if you think that's being shafted.

Like the rest of your reasoning, in my opinion, your stats are way off too. How many people were cleaning panels compared to how many were working from ladders? It's not a fair comparison.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

The more you debate, the more desperate and tired your argument sounds, if I was you Steve I would let it go.

Yes, I think it is fair to say you will not see me attending your 'course' I just (as do many others here) see no benefit to it.

£250 a day may do some nicely but no it is honestly not enough for us. We clear more than that on windows alone and without the so called 'risks' of electrocution you seem to be scare mongering about.

All you need do is type 'seriously injured cleaning a solar panel' into google and there are no results except for web sites like yours with phrases saying things like 'Why risk serious injury or death? let us do it for you!'

Can't be all that risky if there's not one case in the first 3 pages.

Anyhow I am now honestly rather bored of discussing this with you ( my apologies for that being rude but I am just being honest) So this really will be my last post on the topic as playing PacMan is a more constructive waste of time than continuing this conversation.!

 

[Solar Steve]

I'm normally very polite, but I'm going to be blunt here: You're clueless. Absolutely clueless. Your ignorance regarding electrical safety and many of your peers suffer from the same ignorance, puts you at risk. If you want to stick your head in the sand regarding that, be my guest. Clean panels galore if you wish. I am in this industry, you're not. I mix daily with electrical engineers, specialising in solar, who can explain scientifically why the risk of electrocution exists with panel cleaning.

But you've done a Google search, so you must know more than us obviously.... Seriously???!!!

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Wow, I am going to have to sign up for your course just to see how you handle yourself when the Q&A session doesn't go quite to plan!