Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: telfordwindowclnr on July 27, 2013, 07:58:06 pm
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Hi everyone. There is a strong possibility that I can get the above course approved by City & Guilds. I have been talking to a friend of mine who puts ideas for training courses into formats accepted by City & Guilds. He has put together many courses that are approved by them and he is happy to help me put my ideas onto paper and help me through the process.
I know when I have mentioned this course in the past, the strongest objection I came up against was that it would be a Mickey Mouse qualification. I have kept shtum about it for a while, but have been ticking away on it in the background.
Also, people did not think there was a demand for spc. has this perception changed? do people now realise that this will be an industry all of its own and that a qualification would be sensible?
I am assuming it would grab people's interest a whole lot more if it were a City & Guilds. This is the feedback I was given, so this is the route I have been pursuing. Now that I think there is a strong possibility this may happen, I again want to gather people's thoughts on it.
Positive and negative feedback appreciated. :)
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Id be interested I see it as an emerging untapped market..
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
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The way I see it , regardless of the effort. Its a selling point when you clearly know your poop when talking a customer into giving you the job. Knowledge is ALWAYS power !!!
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
I would agree.
The first C&G course I did was 4 years long.
I later did 2 years C&G in another subject.
The courses included Theory, Practical with assessments and exams.
Anyone who has done a proper City & Guilds knows these mickey mouse jobs when we see them.
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
+1. I'd be interested to see a proposed syllabus Steve...
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Id be interested I see it as an emerging untapped market..
Not quite untapped Jim, but definitely emerging...
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
Topics covered would include H & S, RAMS, work at height, development, communication, equipment etc. it would easily fill a day. But until I get ideas on paper, it is hard to know exactly how long the course would be.
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
I would agree.
The first C&G course I did was 4 years long.
I later did 2 years C&G in another subject.
The courses included Theory, Practical with assessments and exams.
Anyone who has done a proper City & Guilds knows these mickey mouse jobs when we see them.
Lots of people mentioned C & G before. Can you think of a better route or format?
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Why does it have to be C&G or NVQ?
Why not just a certificate - proof of training?
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I think you should concentrate on cleaning them & your own business. You know yourself, 90% would be bollox anyway!
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Yer, but there's money to be made out of bollox - ask the impact bloke.
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Yer, but there's money to be made out of bollox - ask the impact bloke.
Yes & that's what p****es me off, muppets thinking we're all mugs! ::)roll
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I'm doing a Diploma in gutter emptying next year. It's a five year course.
If I pass that I might go for a degree in dusting!
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I think you should concentrate on cleaning them & your own business. You know yourself, 90% would be bollox anyway!
My interests extend beyond physically cleaning panels, but in moving the industry forward as a whole. It may be 90% if you were doing it, but the people involved are professional course collators, administrators and assessors.
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I think you should concentrate on cleaning them & your own business. You know yourself, 90% would be bollox anyway!
My interests extend beyond physically cleaning panels, but in moving the industry forward as a whole. It may be 90% if you were doing it, but the people involved are professional course collators, administrators and assessors.
Whatever!! ::)roll
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Another who's got a few big jobs & now wants to "educate" others!! ;D ;D
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The problem as I see it with it being a city & guilds is how much is there to learn about solar panel cleaning?
I know there are dangers associated with electricity etc.
But surely unless its padded out with a lot of paperwork I can't see the course lasting longer than a day at the most.
Which in my mind devalues the city & guilds qualification.
It took me years to get mine.
Topics covered would include H & S, RAMS, work at height, development, communication, equipment etc. it would easily fill a day. But until I get ideas on paper, it is hard to know exactly how long the course would be.
Could this type of training be bolted on to an existing window cleaning/H&S course? Team up with Impact or Ionics?? Or maybe Ionics (www.ionicsolar.com) will be adding it to one of their courses soon themselves?
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I think you should concentrate on cleaning them & your own business. You know yourself, 90% would be bollox anyway!
My interests extend beyond physically cleaning panels, but in moving the industry forward as a whole. It may be 90% if you were doing it, but the people involved are professional course collators, administrators and assessors.
Hahahaha.....
No seriously.......
Hahahaha.......
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I think you should concentrate on cleaning them & your own business. You know yourself, 90% would be bollox anyway!
My interests extend beyond physically cleaning panels, but in moving the industry forward as a whole. It may be 90% if you were doing it, but the people involved are professional course collators, administrators and assessors.
I'll be a bit more diplomatic because you seem like an alright bloke Steve.
But a qualification in cleaning solar panels, really?
I'd concentrate on what your doing, you seem to be doing rather well.
These type of courses are a nice little gravy train especially if they get funding.
But in all honesty all these collators, admin etc love it when a new course comes along, it keeps them in a job.
Take a look at the impact courses everyone on here was raving about them (owt for nowt syndrome. ;D)
As soon as they aren't free nobodies bothered.
That tells me they weren't necessary.
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Soon there will be a 10 minute City & Guilds course for going out your front door so as you can get a 10 minute City & Guilds course to do something else so as you can do a 10 minute City and Guilds course to do a worthless NVQ, etc, etc.
Sorry to sound sarcastic, but I can get all the information I need to clean solar panels on you tube and else where.
Mind you, for the person who runs the course, what a nice little earner.
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Why stop at City & Guilds? I reckon that in a lifetime we couldn't learn all that you have learned about cleaning solar panels Steve. You should be lobbying universities for a degree, masters and a PHD. Dr Steve anyone?
Seriously SPS, you are suffering from delusions of grandeur.
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Why stop at City & Guilds? I reckon that in a lifetime we couldn't learn all that you have learned about cleaning solar panels Steve. You should be lobbying universities for a degree, masters and a PHD. Dr Steve anyone?
Seriously SPS, you are suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Why is there a City & Guilds in window cleaning then? Why do people have it as a badge on their website? Why do people join the FWC? Why do some attend IOSH courses? Why are some Safecontractor? Why do some have IPAF licences? They all build customer confidence because they show the individual has a degree of competency.
I suppose all you do with ladders is put them against a wall and move your legs up and down, right? Men have been climbing ladders for thousands of years, it is one of the oldest forms of technology, but still people can't use them properly. They fall off, get injured or die. Why do people go on ladder safety courses?
Some people WANT training for confidence. They want reassurance that they are doing the job correctly, in the most time-efficient manner and for the right price.
Some clients WANT trained people because then they know they are getting the real deal. Someone, somewhere at some point decided on a training course for all of the various training courses there are on offer for all trades. Were they ALL bonkers? No. There are some training courses out there that are a lot more ludicrous than one for solar panel cleaning.
There have been posts saying folks think it is a bad idea, but few have explained why solar panel cleaning does not require training, but window cleaning does.
Can anyone explain why the risks associated with window cleaning are higher than those for solar panel cleaning???
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Free training here
Just watch the video and you will know how to clean a solar panel.
This is one we did in Owsten Ferry near Doncaster last week using one cherry picker and one water fed pole van. The job itself took us less than 1.5 hrs and the driving there and back took us 8.5 hrs
I guess that all training courses are good if they are designed to benefit the trainee and not just the training companies pockets.
http://youtu.be/PkyUXixSNBk (http://youtu.be/PkyUXixSNBk)
Showing why we are the UK's Number 1 Solar Panel Cleaning Company
We use hot de-ionised, purified h20 to clean panels perfectly
Here is how we accessed the solar panels on the roof https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwHeHTgKdFc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwHeHTgKdFc) using our own 20 metre GSR access platform, means we can go anywhere quickly whenever needed.
No other company in the UK can offer FREE Solar Panel Cleaning like we do!
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Steve, we both know that a city & guilds in cleaning windows is an absolute nonsense.
That's why now the courses aren't free nobody wants to go on them.
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Why stop at City & Guilds? I reckon that in a lifetime we couldn't learn all that you have learned about cleaning solar panels Steve. You should be lobbying universities for a degree, masters and a PHD. Dr Steve anyone?
Seriously SPS, you are suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Why is there a City & Guilds in window cleaning then? Why do people have it as a badge on their website? Why do people join the FWC? Why do some attend IOSH courses? Why are some Safecontractor? Why do some have IPAF licences? They all build customer confidence because they show the individual has a degree of competency.
I suppose all you do with ladders is put them against a wall and move your legs up and down, right? Men have been climbing ladders for thousands of years, it is one of the oldest forms of technology, but still people can't use them properly. They fall off, get injured or die. Why do people go on ladder safety courses?
Some people WANT training for confidence. They want reassurance that they are doing the job correctly, in the most time-efficient manner and for the right price.
Some clients WANT trained people because then they know they are getting the real deal. Someone, somewhere at some point decided on a training course for all of the various training courses there are on offer for all trades. Were they ALL bonkers? No. There are some training courses out there that are a lot more ludicrous than one for solar panel cleaning.
There have been posts saying folks think it is a bad idea, but few have explained why solar panel cleaning does not require training, but window cleaning does.
Can anyone explain why the risks associated with window cleaning are higher than those for solar panel cleaning???
Is there a City & Guilds in WINDOW CLEANING?
I've only seen one of these certificates and it was for a unit credit LEVEL 2 CLEANING AND SUPPORT SERVICE SKILLS.
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There are some training courses out there that are a lot more ludicrous than one for solar panel cleaning.
So you admit it is ludicrous then ;D
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Anyone can clean solar panels, they are as easy as cleaning a paine of glass however i imagine the course would be worthwhile to learn the safety and risk factor of doing such work to minimise any possible deaths or injuries.
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I can understand the need for safety training and training for using equipment safely but a C & G course for solar panel cleaning?
Is there a course I can go on about how to open the van door safely?
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Anyone can clean solar panels, they are as easy as cleaning a paine of glass however i imagine the course would be worthwhile to learn the safety and risk factor of doing such work to minimise any possible deaths or injuries.
The voice of reason.
Also I would add that it would be good to know any risks of damage to panels. It seems unlikely that you can damage a solar panel but it is unlikely you can damage a window and we all know that it CAN happen. Damage to a solar panel is likely to be much more expensive / dangerous than damage to a window.
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Ludicrous courses that I have done.
(Not saying I didn't need some training but the length and expense of these were indeed ludicrous)
MEWP, Full day, Actually could be done in 1 hour
Changing grinding wheels, half day. Should be half hour
Fork truck. 2 days. Another half hour one
Train the trainer. 4 days. Total rubbish course.
And yes folks I am actually a qualified trainer now ;D
Overhead crane 1 day, another half hour one.
I'm sure there are loads more I'll have a think ;D
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Anyone can clean solar panels, they are as easy as cleaning a paine of glass however i imagine the course would be worthwhile to learn the safety and risk factor of doing such work to minimise any possible deaths or injuries.
Hi Mick.
The H & S would obviously take up a large part of the course as there is a lot to learn and retain. learning how to compile a decent RAMS is obviously going to give you a good chance of getting jobs too. Those two things would be the main thrust of the course, be it a City & Guilds or other accredited format.
Thanks for the positive feedback, it is in short supply! :)
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I can understand the need for safety training and training for using equipment safely but a C & G course for solar panel cleaning?
Is there a course I can go on about how to open the van door safely?
So should we call the course "Cleaning Solar Panels Safely."? It needs a name.
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Anyone can clean solar panels, they are as easy as cleaning a paine of glass however i imagine the course would be worthwhile to learn the safety and risk factor of doing such work to minimise any possible deaths or injuries.
The voice of reason.
Also I would add that it would be good to know any risks of damage to panels. It seems unlikely that you can damage a solar panel but it is unlikely you can damage a window and we all know that it CAN happen. Damage to a solar panel is likely to be much more expensive / dangerous than damage to a window.
We have come across damaged panels that have only been installed 18 months. Even though the site is visually checked by it's owners very regularly, it was only when we cleaned the panels that we found a problem. In fact, on that site there were 2 broken panels on different parts of the site. Fortunately, my guys knew what to do when they found one.
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Why follow the norm and go for City & Guilds?
Why not setup a Solar Panel Cleaning Club?
We could arrange suitable training courses for would be solar panel cleaners and give candidates a certificate when they pass the training course.
We could also offer other club member benefits - like offering a national service where we can pass on enquiries for Solar Panel Cleaning to members in the area - I get loads of enquiries from all around the country and could pass on details to companies who I know have been trained.
This business will be massive throughout the UK in the next few years.
Our new forthcoming Super Website with Solar Panel Cleaning Services will be LIVE soon and we will get even more enquiries from all over the place.............
If anyone is interested in joining such a club let me know and I will set one up if there is enough people interested - it won't be free and there will be an annual membership fee..............
darran@purple-rhino.co.uk to register interest now and I will reply to you within the next few weeks Please put SOLAR PANEL CLEANING CLUB in the Subject box
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I can understand the need for safety training and training for using equipment safely but a C & G course for solar panel cleaning?
Is there a course I can go on about how to open the van door safely?
So should we call the course "Cleaning Solar Panels Safely."? It needs a name.
That sounds better but does it really need a course or would a video or leaflet say the same?
Why is a course is needed and what would the benefits be as after all, those are the bottom line.
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
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Why follow the norm and go for City & Guilds?
Why not setup a Solar Panel Cleaning Club?
We could arrange suitable training courses for would be solar panel cleaners and give candidates a certificate when they pass the training course.
We could also offer other club member benefits - like offering a national service where we can pass on enquiries for Solar Panel Cleaning to members in the area - I get loads of enquiries from all around the country and could pass on details to companies who I know have been trained.
This business will be massive throughout the UK in the next few years.
Our new forthcoming Super Website with Solar Panel Cleaning Services will be LIVE soon and we will get even more enquiries from all over the place.............
If anyone is interested in joining such a club let me know and I will set one up if there is enough people interested - it won't be free and there will be an annual membership fee..............
darran@purple-rhino.co.uk to register interest now and I will reply to you within the next few weeks Please put SOLAR PANEL CLEANING CLUB in the Subject box
Hi Darran. I like your vid mate. Your above idea is exactly what I have been doing for the last 12 months, but without the annual membership. Prepare to be hammered for even suggesting people pay for leads. Regarding certificates, I have mooted that too. People do not want a mickey mouse bit of paper, but an accredited, recognised training body, hence my pursuing C&G. I think it is a good idea, but many on here do not. I know not why.... ???
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
I agree entirely. :)
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Not needed.
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Steve you know yourself there are a few people on here who are very professional and would be ok without it, there are some on here who need all the help they can get, I personally think that any training if it specifically involves safe working practise with a real emphasis on how to put together professional Rams documentation would be good.
Would this be a funded course if approved by city and guilds?
Graham
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Why stop at City & Guilds? I reckon that in a lifetime we couldn't learn all that you have learned about cleaning solar panels Steve. You should be lobbying universities for a degree, masters and a PHD. Dr Steve anyone?
Seriously SPS, you are suffering from delusions of grandeur.
That sounds like a great idea but I thought there already was a PHD in cleaning as I have seen
a few vans about with cleaning doctor on the decals. ;D
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Why follow the norm and go for City & Guilds?
Why not setup a Solar Panel Cleaning Club?
We could arrange suitable training courses for would be solar panel cleaners and give candidates a certificate when they pass the training course.
We could also offer other club member benefits - like offering a national service where we can pass on enquiries for Solar Panel Cleaning to members in the area - I get loads of enquiries from all around the country and could pass on details to companies who I know have been trained.
This business will be massive throughout the UK in the next few years.
Our new forthcoming Super Website with Solar Panel Cleaning Services will be LIVE soon and we will get even more enquiries from all over the place.............
If anyone is interested in joining such a club let me know and I will set one up if there is enough people interested - it won't be free and there will be an annual membership fee..............
darran@purple-rhino.co.uk to register interest now and I will reply to you within the next few weeks Please put SOLAR PANEL CLEANING CLUB in the Subject box
Hi Darran. I like your vid mate. Your above idea is exactly what I have been doing for the last 12 months, but without the annual membership. Prepare to be hammered for even suggesting people pay for leads. Regarding certificates, I have mooted that too. People do not want a mickey mouse bit of paper, but an accredited, recognised training body, hence my pursuing C&G. I think it is a good idea, but many on here do not. I know not why.... ???
I've nothing against certification but city & guilds in my experience is a qualification that requires serious effort over a long period of time.
Like I said earlier mine took me years to get and its not Micky Mouse either.
Perhaps c&g have summed down in recent years and are allowing courses for just to gain revenue.
If that's the case courses like this are piggy backing on their good standing
Very disappointing if you ask me.
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
There shouldn't be any voltages involved.
Surely everything isolated before any work is carried out?
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
There shouldn't be any voltages involved.
Surely everything isolated before any work is carried out?
If you say so. Like I said I know very little about it.
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Steve
I think one of the main obstacles involved is that window cleaning as an industry has been going on well over 100 years.
Solar Panel Cleaning is something fairly new and not many people are carrying out this service yet.
Like water fed pole - solar panel cleaning will catch on - eventually!
Perhaps when there are enough solar panel cleaners out there, then C&G may be a worthwhile effort on your part, but I think too low numbers at the moment to make a success of it - maybe I am wrong?
Thats why I was thinking of starting a club - a little bit like National Federation of window cleaners - then when there are enough members - offer formal training...............
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Steve you know yourself there are a few people on here who are very professional and would be ok without it, there are some on here who need all the help they can get, I personally think that any training if it specifically involves safe working practise with a real emphasis on how to put together professional Rams documentation would be good.
Would this be a funded course if approved by city and guilds?
Graham
I am not that far down the line yet, so cannot provide an answer. My friend will deal with that side of things for me. He does not only do City & Guilds, but it was him who mentioned it as an option. I will be relying on his expertise a lot on this too. However it works, he is very positive about it being both informative to the attendees and beneficial to the industry as a whole.
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
All of the questions above would be answered in the course for sure.
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
There shouldn't be any voltages involved.
Surely everything isolated before any work is carried out?
That would be answered on the course too.
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Steve
I think one of the main obstacles involved is that window cleaning as an industry has been going on well over 100 years.
Solar Panel Cleaning is something fairly new and not many people are carrying out this service yet.
Like water fed pole - solar panel cleaning will catch on - eventually!
Perhaps when there are enough solar panel cleaners out there, then C&G may be a worthwhile effort on your part, but I think too low numbers at the moment to make a success of it - maybe I am wrong?
Thats why I was thinking of starting a club - a little bit like National Federation of window cleaners - then when there are enough members - offer formal training...............
I agree Darran. Would be very interested in helping set up the club mate, not as a hobby though, as a revenue stream. :)
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I guess you would have to inform your insurance company of a move into Solar Panel Cleaning but do you think they would maybe offer a reduced premium to someone that's has been on a recognised training course in whatever form this takes.
Also do you think a customer who has just spent many thousands on solar panels trust just anyone to clean them or would they prefer someone who has been properly trained on all aspects of safety etc.
Would the training aspect be a good selling point to obtain work? I personally think training gives confidence to the customer. But that is my opinion.
Solar panels are an investment which in many cases cost tens of thousands of pounds. While personally I would not be particularly bothered about a certificate I would not be happy getting them cleaned by someone without any real knowledge about solar panels.
I know very little about them. Are there lots of different kinds? What voltages are involved? How much return do people get on their investment? What are the benefits of getting them cleaned?
The course would need to inform on all these aspects as well as the safety issue. It makes pricing and tendering for jobs much easier if you know what you are talking about.
There shouldn't be any voltages involved.
Surely everything isolated before any work is carried out?
That would be answered on the course too.
Thing is Steve, I know you could take me to one side, spend an hour or 2 with me and I'll know all I named know.
Failing that a chat with someone else or a quick search ont tinterweb and away I go.
So why do a course?
Your beginning to sound like one of our other much loved training providers. ;D
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Thing is Steve, I know you could take me to one side, spend an hour or 2 with me and I'll know all I named know.
Failing that a chat with someone else or a quick search ont tinterweb and away I go.
So why do a course?
Your beginning to sound like one of our other much loved training providers. ;D
I disagree. Why would / should someone with the knowledge give it away free? I did some solar panels a couple of weeks ago. Wanting to be safe and not knowing much about it, I asked the question on here, did some research on the internet and asked an installer.
The information I gained was inconsistent at best, ranging from: nothing to worry about just do it. To: do not do it you might die. And pretty much everything in between. All from seemingly credible sources.
This issue is wildly different from any window cleaning safety issue as solar panels are more of an unknown quantity.
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Thing is Steve, I know you could take me to one side, spend an hour or 2 with me and I'll know all I named know.
Failing that a chat with someone else or a quick search ont tinterweb and away I go.
So why do a course?
Your beginning to sound like one of our other much loved training providers. ;D
I disagree. Why would / should someone with the knowledge give it away free? I did some solar panels a couple of weeks ago. Wanting to be safe and not knowing much about it, I asked the question on here, did some research on the internet and asked an installer.
The information I gained was inconsistent at best, ranging from: nothing to worry about just do it. To: do not do it you might die. And pretty much everything in between. All from seemingly credible sources.
That's not my point I don't expect to get info for free.
There isnt that much to learn that's why it'll padded out with RAMS etc to make it seem worthwhile.
The actual nuts and bolts of it will take no time whatsoever.
The proof will be in the pudding.
Let's see how many on here are willing to pay for it.
If my memory serves me right Ian101 tried to do a similar thing with windows and got nowt out of it because it wasn't free. ;D
This issue is wildly different from any window cleaning safety issue as solar panels are more of an unknown quantity.
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What ever next ;D