This is strange, I'd forgotten about the training. Steve called a couple of weeks ago enquiringly whether we could carry out a domestic solar job for him, but I've not gone through his training scheme, perhaps he thought I had 
Had to turn it down anyway, too busy with a number of our own solar jobs. Just picked up three, smallest is 2,000 panels. They literally seem to be falling out the sky at the moment.
Training is needed for commercial jobs, not residential. Just as I said the industry would begin to go, it is a stipulation in our contract that our subcontractors are trained. It's not a Mickey Mouse contract either. It's the biggest rooftop contract to be made available in the UK to date and the contract itself is 48 pages long, much of which refers to H&S.
Times are changing. But what do I know eh? I'm just a scammer trying to fill up a training course. 
I don't need the money from the training course, I need long term Approved Contractors who I know can clean panels safely.
So to clarify in your words Steve baby, no training is needed to clean solar panels on a house but training is needed on a commercial job. So does that mean we are all ok to carry on as normal then and don't need your permission?
Please make your mind up son, you're becoming a teeny bit unprofessional.
I have tried my best not to talk about training because I don't want the thread to be blocked. I hope the mods don't block it because it is obviously still a very interesting subject to many.
Ok. No training of any kind is required by law.............yet. Within the solar industry though, attitudes are changing regarding this. They want it regulating in the same way as the MCS scheme for installers. They know that window cleaners across the land are advertising solar panel cleaning as a service, but are doing so with ignorance towards the H&S aspects.
Because we now run a high quality training course, the solar industry is trusting us with valuable, high profile contracts. We have set ourselves apart. Our latest and biggest contract dictates that anyone cleaning the panels must have their certificate of training from us.
So as a company, we have looked at this and decided that anyone who cleans any commercial site for us in the future must have been trained by us. For someone to carry out a residential clean for us does not require training because there is less risk. Not zero risk, less risk. This is now our company policy. But the solar industry is looking at regulating the cleaning of ALL solar panels. I am in detailed talks with one body as to how this can be set up.
As businessmen with employees, we should all be interested in the H&S of our employees. We should be willing to train them with new equipment we purchase or inform them about sites which have unique risks.
From another angle, it's a business no-brainer. Three years ago there was me on my own doing this and I cleaned less than 200 panels during 2012. Now I have a limited company that employs 8 people and this year will clean over 170,000 panels. Next year we already have confirmed over 260,000 panels without any new jobs coming through the door. Today I'm pricing up another 160,000 panels for next year.
If ANY of you added a new service, were growing at a rate like this and offering training to become an Approved Contractor for this new part of your business, I would be all over it like a nasty rash. I would want in.
Even if you cast the 'training' side of it aside, this is a great business opportunity.
In April, one company paid nearly £500.00 to train staff. They have since earned over £11k with no further investment needed. Another sole trader has earned about £6k with us this year.
I have thousands of pounds of work to go out to people in the north west and north east, but they must be trained by us first. I have to know they are working safely and to our standard. For someone out there, this training is a no-brainer.
