10.11.2022 | PV/flat roofs

Supporting multiple PV customers simultaneously can often become a huge challenge

Not only private households, but also businesses and companies, are relying increasingly on generating their own solar energy. The presently escalating energy prices will hasten this trend even further. For solar system installers, this creates enormous potential for winning new orders. It can then very easily happen that multiple projects or construction sites have to be managed simultaneously. And that creates a number of challenges.

1 Ratings

Specialist series: Absturzsicherung auf PV-Anlagen

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Guide for PV systems on the roof

Guide: Fall Protection Photovoltaic (PV)-System

This ultimate fall protection guide will help you to achieve a safe PV system on the roof. In the following, we summarise the danger areas on the roof, the liability issue and the safety solutions in a compact way. In addition, you will learn how you can generate more turnover as a solar installer.

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Elektro Scherer puts its trust in the TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH

In its practical implementation, the roof installation of PV systems together with their associated fall protection repeatedly creates specific challenges. In the case of Elektro Scherer, a TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH was attached directly to the K2 substructure of the solar power plant.

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How roof surfaces can be optimally used for the planned PV installation

With regard to PV installations on roofs, the question of competition for area often arises. This refers to competition between various types of use for the available area. The reason is that in principle all PV system operators want to free up the maximum possible amount of space for their solar power plant.

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Why should you, as PV installers, also offer the fall protection system?

We invited experts to a discussion on the subject of fall protection for PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. In this blog post we go into the most frequently asked questions related to this topic.

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Individual or collective protection? Which system is used when for PV installations on a roof?

While dangers like break-throughs or an increased fall risk close to the roof edge lurk on a flat roof, on a pitched roof the inclination itself is the greatest challenge. Discover in the following article how you can professionally protect your maintenance and cleaning staff.

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A professional safety concept for PV installations protects the wallet and the nerves

As a solar system installer, you naturally know every detail of the legal safety provisions relating to PV systems on a roof. In contrast, your clients may well be entering completely new territory which probably raises a number of additional questions. It is therefore all the more important from the outset to integrate the subject of safety into the planning of the PV system, and to create a substantiated and professional safety concept.

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Successful solar system installers are those who offer PV fall protection at the same time

Solar system installers who, in addition to the optimally appropriate PV systems, can also provide the best possible fall protection, not only have a better image than their competitors – they can also use this to create increased turnover.

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Safety increases business for solar system installers as full service providers

PV systems on the roof have been booming for quite some time. No wonder, because having your own solar power plant on the roof not only gives you much more independence in terms of energy supply, but also makes a significant contribution to the energy transition as a whole. If you also focus on the issue of safety on the roof, then as a solar installer you can leave the competition behind. In this article, you will discover how you can achieve this.

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[Translate to Englisch:]

Supporting multiple PV customers simultaneously can often become a huge challenge

Not only private households, but also businesses and companies, are relying increasingly on generating their own solar energy. The presently escalating energy prices will hasten this trend even further. For solar system installers, this creates enormous potential for winning new orders. It can then very easily happen that multiple projects or construction sites have to be managed simultaneously. And that creates a number of challenges.

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Work on a PV system on a roof

Installing one’s own PV system on a roof makes sense for a number of reasons. So that it always provides the best possible performance, workers regularly have to access the solar power plant in order to perform servicing and cleaning tasks. Who is responsible or liable for the consequences of accidents?

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PV systems on a roof – consider all danger areas, in order to protect against falls effectively

The circumstances and conditions of every single order for a PV system on a roof must always be analysed very closely, in order to implement the correct safety precautions. Solar system installers who recognise all risks and can at the same time also propose the appropriate professional and certified solution to their customers have the opportunity to position themselves as a responsible absolute expert in their area. In the medium and long term, this also has a positive effect on the sales performance of solar system installers.

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6 tips which help solar system installers to gain increased turnover from their PV installations on roofs

Even if the connection isn’t obvious at first glance, solar system installers and PV installation companies can acquire significantly more new customers with a partner who is a certified and professional manufacturer of fall protection systems for PV installations on roofs. The reason why is very simple: They are able to cover the subject of safety in the very first meeting with the customer, thereby relieving their potential clients of a large amount of research work.

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Subsequent installation of a fall protection system for PV installations on the roof

It is never too late to make the right decisions and implement them! This means that even operators of PV installations on the roof should consider whether the subsequent upgrade of their solar power plant with a professional and certified fall protection system is feasible and sensible.

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360° solutions as a guarantee for success

Solar system installers capable of including a safety solution with their PV systems hold a clear edge over the competition. You can find out why this is the case in the following article.

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4 steps are necessary for professional fall protection on the PV system on the roof

Discover all the necessary information here. In this article, we explain in summary the four steps that will lead you to your fall protection for PV systems. This much in advance, everything starts with a plan...

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The right fall protection creates more space for the PV system

Here is an example from practice. ADREX relies on its proven one-stop-shop principle, in order to largely relieve its customers of all tasks related to their own roof-mounted solar power plants. This obviously also includes the selection and installation of a professional fall protection system for the PV installation.

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Correct servicing and inspection of your PV fall protection system protects you from many problems

The fall protection for your PV system on a roof is 100% safe only if it is also inspected regularly for signs of potential wear and tear, damage, or corrosion, and for loose mounts. Discover what matters.

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The professional way to install a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof

The detailed planning of the fall protection system for your PV system on the roof is followed by what is probably the most tantalising moment of the endeavour to make your solar power plant as safe and efficient as possible: the installation; the project is finally taking concrete shape. Discover what matters in the process.

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The installation of a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof requires a certain amount of expertise!

The same rules that apply in all other areas of life and work also hold true in the area of fall protection systems for PV systems installed on a roof: Solid initial and further training are of pivotal importance, especially when it comes to the correct installation and proper servicing / cleaning of the system and its individual solar panels.

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The aspects to focus on when planning a fall protection system for the PV system on your roof

The goal to harvest as much power as possible from your own solar power plant therefore hinges on the ability to maximise the utilisation of the roof surface, while securing the trouble-free operation of the solar power plant for the long term. This requires a comprehensive plan which factors in all details and also includes a professional system that protects against falls from a height.

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Fall protection systems for your PV system installed on the roof

There are questions that come up again and again when it comes to the safety of PV systems on the roof. We have summarised the 6 most frequently asked questions by installers and solar technicians and also show the challenges of PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. The focus is always on possible safety solutions to mitigate these.

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PV systems on a flat roof can be efficient and safe at the same time

In the examination of current practice below, we show you two individual solutions for flat roofs, together with the respective challenges which may be created by one’s own solar power plant. Discover the TAURUS rail system and the AIO lifeline system using Autohaus Nägele & Sohn GmbH and Autowelt Reibersdorfer as examples.

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5 tips relating to your PV system on the roof

How to save time and money. Installing a photovoltaic system on your own roof is always a good idea, because in this way a previously completely unused surface is availed of for the sustainable production of electricity for your household or company. But so that this success story really comes into being, as early as the planning phase of your PV system you should also create a professional safety concept, or get one created.

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Professional fall protection for your PV system on pitched roofs

Installation tasks on the photovoltaic system, as well as its servicing and cleaning, represent a particular challenge. An selection of possible security solutions including advantages can be discovered in the following article. In addition, the topic of access to the PV system on the pitched roof is also covered.

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Fall protection photovoltaics

Not all roofs are the same. In the same way that roof forms differ greatly, the dangers concealed during installation and servicing and cleaning tasks on PV systems are just as variable. For this reason, we present solutions for all cases here.

The key to success was certainly also the communication among ourselves and the basis of trust that we have built up among ourselves and with our suppliers over the years.

Martin Beck
[Translate to Englisch:]

INNOTECH customer Liechtensteinische Kraftwerke (LKW), a public-sector company in the Principality of Liechtenstein, recently experienced this. Martin Beck, who has led the Renewable Energy department in the Electrical Installation section at LKW for 15 years, describes in the interview, how he managed this complex situation, and how INNOTECH helped him to do so. Ever since 1923, as a producer and supplier, his employer has been a primary supplier of electricity and telecommunications. In addition, LKW also operates a salesroom for electrical items, and an electrical installation service. Everything is included – from apartment buildings up to large-scale projects. The Werkhof reference project demonstrates how a PV project is implemented in practice. There is more information about this here.

 

Initial situation

INNOTECH: Mr Beck, how come you and LKW needed to coordinate and manage a large number of projects simultaneously?

 

Martin Beck: Renewable energy sources have been a long-term trend for some time. The country’s Energy Strategy 2030 had always kept us very busy, and the enterprise enjoyed healthy growth.

 

Because of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the resulting electricity supply shortage, we were completely swamped with demand for the installation of photovoltaic systems. The market for PV systems with battery storage exploded almost overnight. The established team was no longer even able to process the enquiries.

 

On the one hand, the office team was fully occupied with processing the enquiries and material procurement, and on the other hand the installation team had to be ramped up. No easy task, with a chronic lack of specialists. 

 

 

INNOTECH: What was the concrete objective of this phase?

 

Martin Beck: Despite the complexity of this task, our aim was to maintain customer satisfaction through effective communication, by making clear to our prospects that extended waiting times would arise because of the circumstances.

 

At the same time, I was concerned that, somehow or another, a work-life balance needed to be maintained for my colleagues and myself. All the same, the only way to overcome the worst of the situation was by means of overtime and good organisation. 

 

 

INNOTECH: What was the effect of this situation on the planning and implementation of the various projects? 

 

Martin Beck: On occasions we had to make decisions very quickly. 

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Challenges which arose during implementation

INNOTECH: What challenges confronted you overall when managing so many contracts?

 

Martin Beck: For this, the consistent entry of customer data into a management system was important, in order that no customer went astray. That also allowed us to coordinate the procurement and installation of the systems.

 

The project manager is in great demand, particularly when several construction sites are running concurrently. 

 

 

INNOTECH: How did you approach this task back then, and in the end what was the key to your success?

 

Martin Beck: I have always made sure to stay calm and to work with consistency, despite the hectic pace. Another key to success was certainly our communication with each other and the basis of trust, built up over the years amongst ourselves and with our suppliers.   

 

 

INNOTECH: What was INNOTECH’s overall role in coordinating the numerous projects?

 

Martin Beck: INNOTECH has been our partner over many years, and they support us in the complex consultancy and implementation of fall arrest systems. Especially in these hectic times, it means a great deal to be supported by a reliable, expert partner. 

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Tips for the successful implementation of multiple projects simultaneously

INNOTECH: How did things progress, and what was decisive for the successful implementation of so many orders at the same time? 

 

Martin Beck: For this, we are and were in permanent contact with the INNOTECH specialists responsible for the Swiss region, and we were and are supported very well. It is certainly also one of the keys to success that, thanks to INNOTECH, we are able to provide all-inclusive solutions.

 

Furthermore, our installation team frequently attends one or other of INNOTECH’s numerous training courses.

 

 

INNOTECH: Finally, what tips would you give to anyone currently facing a similar challenge?

 

Martin Beck: Keep calm and believe in yourself. Maintain a work-life balance, so that you don’t suffer long-term detriment. 

 

Thank you for talking to us. 

Contact us immediately for further information! Our experts are happy to support you in implementing your PV projects, so that you maintain an overview at all times, and that your customers are completely satisfied. And: download our checklist/tips on this topic now!

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